


Aerials

by Beatonen



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Freezerburn - Freeform, I love them a whole lot, Ladybug - Freeform, Mention of alcohol, Ruby being the youngest, kinda still in RWBY universe, she is 19, they are all at the age of majority
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-07 00:32:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10348341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beatonen/pseuds/Beatonen
Summary: Yang goes back to the dorm room after noticing she forgot her textbook, and opened the door to Weiss, listening andsinging to one of Yang's song.A work based off the song Aerials by System of a down.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, I wanted to do something silly.
> 
> And Weiss drumming, because angry tiny drummer Weiss. Yes.
> 
> I also corrected the many typos I made for the word 'singing'

She knew she was forgetting something.

She _always_ forgot something.

Not that it would change something.

Yang winced, walking back to her dorm room in the long, seemingly endless hallway. It was Friday afternoon, and the four girls of team RWBY only had morning classes, so they took that afternoon to study. Ruby and Yang always found the dorm room too silent to study, as odd as it sounded, so they took their books and notes to the cafeteria. Blake preferred the library, and Weiss kept the dorm room to herself, preferring to be isolated from everything when she studied. And Yang knew what interrupting their little heiress could look like, and she grimaced again. She just _had_ to have forgotten her textbook. Ruby had proposed that they could share hers, but it was easier to have one for each. So, there she was, walking down the hallway, feeling guilty because she knew Weiss would be upset both because Yang forgot her textbook _and_ interrupted her. With a sigh and an apology on her lips, the blonde heaved a hand on the doorknob, stopping for a breath for a quick second. A second that lingered to a few seconds as she leaned her head closer to the door, her brows furrowing with curiosity.

Yes, that was music. And not the piano and vocals Weiss always listened to. It was something heavier, with a deep bass and a guitar. With the clear alto of Weiss’s voice, singing quietly over the music. As silently as she could, Yang turned the doorknob, gently pushing the door open, and peeked inside the dorm room.

Weiss was sitting behind her desk. _Hers_ , because she claimed it and they all knew better than to argue with a stomping Weiss Schnee. Her notes sprawled before her, her textbook opened on the side, she was leaning her head on her right hand, tapping the end of her pen with her left to the beat of the song, mumbling softly the lyrics absently. Yang knew the song. It was one of hers, because nobody on the team listened to that kind of music. With a small pout, Yang noticed the song was reaching its end, and was about to clear her throat to get the other girl’s attention, when Weiss, still staring at her notes, reached her hand to her scroll, tapped on the screen a few times and the song started again. Yang grinned when Weiss hummed the first notes of the guitar, seeing her tap her foot as the song got into the first verse.

“ _Life is a waterfall, we're one in the river, and one again after the fall…_ ”

She tapped her pen on the open page before her in time with the drum, her head bouncing back and forth to the beat.

“ _'Cause we are the ones that want to play, always want to go but you never want to stay…_ ”

Yang couldn’t believe it. Weiss was really listening, and _singing_ that song. Aerials. That suited her, somehow. As silent as Blake, she slipped into the room and closed the door behind her, the quiet “click” of the door going unnoticed as Weiss tapped on her screen again, to augment the volume a little, this time. She stayed a long while, listening as Weiss sang softly the first chorus, only to straighten her head as the second verse came, the guitar riff a little heavier.

“ _Life is a waterfall, we drink from the river then we turn around and put up our walls…_ ”

Biting her lips, she resisted the urge to not sing with her, to not let her presence known from the heiress. But she _did_ love that song, it was one of her favorite from the band, and seeing Weiss appreciate it so much that she played it on repeat made her so happy… And before she knew it, she had stepped forward, in the center of the room, motioning with her hands as if she had a guitar, playing the riffs and bouncing her head, making her hair fall everywhere in a golden mess.

“ _'Cause we are the ones that want to play, always want to go but you never want to stay…_ ”

Weiss jerked back in her seat, clutching at her pen, a blush creeping furiously on her neck and her face, and when their eyes met, Yang winked with a large grin.

“I need a drummer, Weiss! And a signer!”

And, taking a breath, she sang, Weiss staring at her with wide, shocked eyes.

“ _And we are the ones that want to choose, always want to play but you never want to lose…_ ”

As her voice rose to match the note, she saw Weiss shake her head, turning in her seat, grabbing another pen and tapping both in the pages in front of her on her imaginary drum, and sang, her voice mixing with Yang’s.

“ _Aerials in the sky, when you lose small mind you free your life. Aerials, so up high, when you free your eyes, eternal prize!_ ”

Then they both shifted to a much softer tone, Yang shuffling to Weiss’s side as they sang the last of the song, ending with a few quiet notes and the hiss of a cymbal of the drum. Then the next song came, piano notes filling the air as Weiss reached her hand over silently, tapping on the screen and stopped the song. After a few seconds of silence, Yang cleared her throat and looked down at the heiress with a grin.

“Well, that was something.”

“I never thought I could have that much fun with you” Weiss said at the same time, looking up into lilac eyes.

Huffing in faked shock, Yang rested a hand over her heart, sitting dramatically on Blake’s bed, leaning on her other hand.

“Why, you wound me, Weiss. I thought we were best friend!”

Instead of the scowl she expected, the blonde was met with a small, apologetic smile, blue eyes glancing away at her notes in front of her.

“I know I’m not always good to have around, and I know we disagree on a lot of things, Yang, but… You are a good friend to me. And I wish I wasn’t always as stressed as I usually am, so I could _actually_ be fun to have around.”

She sighed, pressing her fingers on her forehead. Spending time with Ruby made her say things she didn’t really think through, and she waited for the tease she was sure Yang was about to say. But instead, Yang cocked her head to the side slightly, blonde eyebrows furrowed.

“You do seem a lot less stressed right now, when you should be studying.” She noted playfully with a grin.

Weiss huffed, a small smile tugging at her lips as she glanced at her scroll.

“Yes, well. Music tends to do that. I’m not really used to the idea that I can listen to music whenever I want when I’m not in class. Father didn’t let me, except for my singing lessons.”

She grimaced, the last phrase slipped through her lips faster than she could stop herself. She kept her eyes on her notes, toying nervously with her pen, bowing her head enough for her bangs to hide her face from Yang.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.” She mumbled, doodling a little on the sheet.

She felt the large hand of the blonde rest gently on her shoulder, her warmth passing through the clothes, and she glanced up quickly. As she locked her eyes with the bright lilac ones, she noticed the large grin, and the somewhat decided look in her eyes.

“How does karaoke night sound?”

“What?” Weiss’s head jerked up, looking at the blonde in disbelief.

“Well,” Yang started, her hand falling to her own, wrapping around her wrist. “You like music, I like music. You like singing songs, I like it too. You like to do some silly air drum while singing, I like to do some silly air guitar while singing. My guess? We both will enjoy a karaoke night. So, what do you say?”

Weiss looked at her, eyebrows raised. She had heard what a ‘karaoke’ was, but actually she never had gone to one. But as Yang looked at her, her confident smile slowly shifting to a pout - a pout far too familiar, she noticed, her eyes narrowing - widening her soft lavender eyes, Weiss could see the resemblance between the sisters. But she felt her reluctance weakening as Yang pitifully angled her head, making her eyes seem wider, her pout deeper, and the heiress rolled her eyes, huffing in slight annoyance.

“Fine.” She let out drily, only to smile a second later when the blonde’s pout transformed into the largest, brightest smile she saw Yang made.

“Yes” Yang breathed, pumping her fist to her side, trailing on the ‘s’. “Oh, it’s gonna be so much fun, Weiss! I can’t wait! I’ll ask Blake and Ruby!”

Before Weiss knew it, Yang was out the door in the hallway, her rapid footsteps could be heard as she ran, the door quietly creaking on its hinges as it swung slightly, still open. Blinking, Weiss was surprised that the blonde could move so fast, and as she stood and walked over to close the door, asked herself if it was really a great idea to go to a ‘karaoke night’.

 

**** 

 

“She _accepted_?” Ruby asked in disbelief, glancing at Blake, who looked as shocked as she was.

Yang nodded vigorously, bouncing on the balls of her feet, too excited to sit.

“Yeah! It was the first time I saw her so relaxed, and come on, you two can’t convince me that it isn’t going to be fun!”

Again, Ruby glanced at Blake and the faunus shrugged, closing her book with a smile.

“It should be fun, count me in” she said simply, sitting back on her chair, leaning her elbow on the back on her chair as she high fived Yang with a wink, than both golden and lilac eyes turned to Ruby.

The youngest and team leader let out a long, deep sigh.

 

**** 

 

Turns out, it was really nice. Nicer than Weiss had thought. Well, the few beers and fancy cocktails Yang insisted to make her taste helped greatly, but all in all, the heiress was enjoying herself. She thought that Yang would only invite the rest of the team, but she discovered that the teams RWBY, JNPR and even CFVY were there as well, even if the third years were in the next room. Yang traveled from their booth to the next room, a social butterfly, always laughing and smiling, making sure everyone had a drink, everyone was enjoying themselves. Blake sometimes walked in the next room to chat a little with Velvet and Fox, Coco preferring talking with Yang or Weiss, and Ruby stayed in their booth, talking animatedly with Nora, drawing mechanism to improve the Warhammer of the already destructive weapon of the ginger girl. Of course, the songs never stopped coming, conversations interrupted the time of a song, or completely forgotten as everyone joined to sing. Weiss was really having a nice time. Hell, she was having _fun_ , singing along almost every song that passed on the screen, wincing when it was Jaune’s turn. At some point, when Weiss had nearly finished her drink, she felt a warm presence behind her and smiled, knowing who it was before the person spoke.

“So, you like it? You’re enjoying yourself?” Yang asked, resting a hand on her back with a kind smile, her thumb caressing her back over the clothes.

“Very” Weiss smiled back, looking up in lilac eyes, a warm, fuzzy feeling nestling in her stomach.

 _That’s the alcohol_ , she thought. _I drank a little too much_.

“That’s good! I’m really glad,” she let out, a sheepish smile on her lips, her hand leaving Weiss’s back to rub the back of her neck. “I was afraid you felt obligated to come, so… We should do this more often?”

Weiss was sure the blonde said it as an understatement, but the end of the sentence sounded more like a question. She simply nodded, her smile growing larger as she locked her eyes with those beautiful, soft, caring lavender eyes.

“Absolutely” she breathed, inching only slightly closer.

She saw Yang’s smile falter for a second, but stayed, and she noticed how the blonde swallowed, still locking her eyes with Weiss’s. The hand rubbing her neck fell to her side, then inched closer to the heiress’s sleeve, lightly pulling the shorter woman closer. It was almost a dance, both of them inching closer slightly, never dropping the eye contact, until, even with a couple inches between them, Yang’s arm was wrapped around Weiss’s waist gently, her palm resting on the small of her back, her thumb gently drawing patterns.

“Maybe next time, it could be just the two of us?”

Weiss’s head cocked to the side thoughtfully, her brow creased slightly.

“A karaoke night with only two people?”

“Or we could go… grab a movie. Maybe dinner. Or… coffee. Whatever you want.”

The smaller woman laughed softly, sending a wave of warmth in the blonde’s entire frame.

“Yang Xiao Long, are you asking me out for a date?” she asked teasingly, looking up, her eyes glinting with mischief.

Yang’s breath caught in her throat, and the hand on the smaller woman’s back left to rub on the back of the blonde’s neck again, chuckling nervously.

“Maaaaaybe..? If you don’t want it to be a date, it’s fine. I could ask Blake or Ruby or both to come with us if it embarrass you or something, but I just had to ask if you were-”

The nervous rambling of the blonde was interrupted by a small, cool hand on the arm that was rubbing absently on her neck.

“I would love to, Yang,” Weiss smiled again. “To go on a date with you.”

 

**** 

 

-Freezerburn spotted, nine o’clock.

Blake and Ruby looked to Nora in disbelief, her voice unusually quiet making both girls kind of startled.

“What?” Ruby was the first to recover from the shock.

“Look at our nine,” Nora insisted, raising her eyebrows and jerking her head to their left not so subtly. “I think there’s something going on.” She added, wiggling her eyebrows a couple of times suggestively.

Blake snorted, rolling her eyes.

“Beside Weiss trying to throttle Yang, I don’t see… What…” she trailed off, as her eyes fell on her teammates.

“No. Way.” Ruby commented, her mouth gaping.

They looked in shock as Yang’s arm was around Weiss's waist, both close to each other, talking in hushed tones. Ruby’s hand fell heavily on the faunus’s arm, leaning over to speak without fearing someone might hear as Yang started to rub the back of her neck.

“Ohmigod Blake she’s _asking her out_!”

Blake frowned, trying to listen to their conversation with her keen hearing, but the noise of the conversations, the singing and the fact that their teammates were talking quietly made it impossible, and she sighed, leaning to Ruby.

“You think?”

“Duh, have you ever seen Yang nervous before? She’s totally asking her out. Look at her. She’s going to rub her head off at this rate.”

“I’m with Ruby on this,” the quiet voice of Ren cutting in, startling both the faunus and the red-head. “5 bucks she’s asking Weiss to a date.”

Blake snorted, still not believing the two could get along.

“5 bucks they’re just talking, Yang probably apologising for something she did to Weiss, or whatever.”

Nora shook her head at Blake’s lack of faith, and gasped loudly, her hand clasping on Ren’s thigh as she saw Weiss raised her hand, and lay it delicately on the blonde’s arm, smiling up as she said something. Blake rolled her eyes when she felt Ruby bounce beside her, the hand gripping the faunus’s arm squeezing a little tighter from the excitement.

“Ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod Blaaaaaaaaaake!” Ruby’s voice was pitched as she was still trying to somewhat whisper quietly to Blake. “She said yes! They’re going on a date!”

“Oh, come on.” Blake grumbled, a small frown on her face as she looked over at her teammates. “How can you tell? I can’t even hear them, so I’m sure as hell you can’t hear them.”

Ruby raised a single eyebrow and shot the taller girl a glance, as if the answer was written in the sky.

“Have you even seen Weiss _touching_ someone without being forced too? With a smile?”

Blake rolled her eyes, exasperated, but her answer was interrupted by Jaune’s voice, mic still in hand, asking whose song was the one on the screen. Ruby flashed a glance, recognising the title.

“Yang! Your song is up!” She called, waving at her sister when the blonde’s head jerked up toward her.

Slightly confused, Yang blinked, then her smile came back, a glint of mischief in her eyes as she stepped on the stage, and took a second mic before throwing it to Weiss, who managed to catch it without dropping her glass.

“That’s our song, Weiss! Get your ass over here!”

Everyone raised their eyebrows in surprise. It would be Weiss’s first time on the stage tonight, and nobody ever thought it would be a duet with Yang. The heiress rolled her eyes, but set her glass on the table in front of a dumbstruck Blake, and took Yang’s hand with a smile as she climbed on the stage with her, already knowing what the song was.

Near the end of the song, both girls on the stage were doing some incredibly accurate air drum and guitar, singing in somewhat harmony, Weiss’s voice adjusting easily with Yang’s lower one. At some point, Blake pawed in her pocket without leaving the odd pair from her sight, fished 5 dollars from her wallet and extended it towards Ren, who took it without a word, Ruby and Nora giggling beside her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss and Yang goes on a date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda still in RWBY universe, but you know. Common things.

Ruby, Blake and Yang were in comfortable silence, only disturbed by the soft rustling of paper when Blake turned the pages from her book, and the muted sound of Yang’s music in her headphones. Ruby was sitting in front of Weiss’s desk, with her authorisation of course, and she was shifting and sighing at every five seconds, toying with the pen in her hand and staring at the page in front of her. Blake flashed a glance at the younger girl, hiding her smirk behind her book when she saw the clear look of pain and despair written all over her leader’s face. She was about to ask if she could help, when the rapidly approaching thud of footsteps in the hallway made her ears perked up, and she was staring at the door long before the doorknob twisted. Weiss opened the door widely, stumbling in the dorm room, huffing slightly, and she leaned in the doorway while looking up at Yang with a smile, while the blonde jerked her headphone off.

“Sorry I’m late” Weiss grimaced, still trying to take control of her breathing. “My sister…” she motioned in the air before her with a sheepish grin. “So I kind of ran to not make you wait too long.”

Yang frowned slightly, jumping off her bunk bed, landing with a thud.

“You know I don’t mind, Weiss. I’m always late, I won’t complain if you’re…” she glanced at her scroll in her hand, raising a single golden eyebrow. “… Two minutes late. I didn’t even notice.”

Weiss huffed and straightened her back a little, opening her mouth with a retort on her lips when Ruby’s voice rose.

“Late for what?”

Yang spun on her heels, facing her sister while Weiss leaned her shoulder on the opposite side of the doorway to look at Ruby.

“Weiss wants to go shopping!” Yang happily clapped her hands together, bouncing on the ball of her feet.

Weiss rolled her eyes. “Hardly. I just want to buy a couple CDs Yang showed me.”

“Can I tag along?” Ruby asked, her wide, pleading eyes looking up at both her sister and her partner.

Lilac and blue eyes glanced at each other for a split second, and Weiss opened her mouth to answer when her eyes fell on the still blank page in front of the young leader.

“Don’t you have an essay to finish?” the heiress crossed her arms on her chest, raising a single eyebrow.

Ruby groaned, letting her head fall on the desk lightly, her short hair puffing around.

“I’ve been sitting here for three hours Weiss, please-”

“Ruby” Weiss interrupted, stepping into the room and walking beside the suffering girl. “You’ve been sitting here for three hours, and you’ve only managed to write… seven words.” She counted, shaking her head in disbelief. “It’s an essay due in two days. If you don’t _at least_ write the half of it today, I’m afraid you’re not going to make it through.”

With a small, sympathetic smile, Yang patted the sister’s head gently.

“Sorry, Rubes. Next time!”

Then, Yang glanced at Blake to see if she wanted to come, but the faunus only licked her finger to turn the page she had just finished reading, talking without looking up.

“I’ll stay with Ruby, to make sure she actually writes at least half of it. Plus,” she added, glancing up with a small, mischievous grin tugging at the corner of her lips, “you two seem to want to go alone.” She finished with a wink, returning to her book in her hand.

Weiss felt a blush creeping its way up her neck as she turned and walked to the door with a small “humph!” while Yang made a small thumbs up to her partner. When she heard the heiress tap her foot in annoyance, the blonde rolled her eyes and grabbed her jacket, putting it on in one swift motion.

“You ready?” the heiress asked, her cheeks still a tad pink.

“Let’s go!” the blonde smiled, and with a wave to the girls inside the room, closed the door.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Ruby straightened her back and turned to the faunus with a wide, bright smile, and Blake didn’t even have to look up to give Ruby the high five she was waiting for.

“They are _so_ going on a date.” Ruby giggled, genuinely happy for her sister and her partner.

Blake smiled, then closed her book on her finger to keep the page she was at to look up at her leader.

“I’m happy for them” the faunus nodded softly. “I’ve never seen Weiss this happy before. Do you think it will get serious?”

Ruby leaned on the back of her chair, tapping her chin thoughtfully for a couple of seconds before answering, her voice a little distant as she was thinking.

“I don’t know, but I think so. I don’t think Weiss would get as invested as she is if she didn’t want it to be serious.”

Blake hummed in agreement, glancing on the cover of her book for a moment.

“Weiss is good to Yang,” the younger girl continued. “I guess Weiss is the ‘discipline’ Yang lacked. Sis was never really the most studious, and since they’re ‘clearly not dating’, Yang in passing her classes with flying colors. And, well, Weiss seems more… friendly. I mean, I know she cares about her friends, but I’ve never seen her clearly say it or show it, and last week she hugged me. Without me asking. On her own accord, she _hugged_ me because I was having a bad day. If that’s not improvement, I don’t know what it is.” Ruby laughed, stretching her legs under the desk.

Blake snorted, gently swatting Ruby’s hand with her book.

“They’re an odd pair, but… they’re cute together.” Blake conceded, a soft smile on her lips.

“Not as odd as Ren and Nora.” Ruby chirped in.

“They’re not dating.”

“Riiiight…Who believes that, anyway?”

“I don’t know. Ren and Nora?”

Ruby laughed, her voice filling the air in the dorm room, and Blake smiled, reopening her book to continue where she’d left it.

 

 

“You still sure about not telling them? I’m pretty sure they figured it out already.”

Weiss sighed, slowing the pace of her walk slightly, Yang staying on her side.

“I just want to be sure that it’s going to work between us before telling them, Yang.”

The blonde frowned slightly, cocking her head to the side.

“You don’t think it’s going to work?”

“I said I wanted to make sure it worked, Yang. Look,” she sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. “Can we just go on and enjoy the rest of the day?”

The bright, large smile tugged at the blonde’s lips again.

“Of course, Princess. It’s right this way.”

Yang gently touched the heiress’s elbow, guiding her across the large, crowded hall, but Weiss stopped in her track, her hand resting on the blonde’s arm.

“Yang, if you really need to talk about us, we can. I don’t want you to think I’m discarding your feelings-”

“Weiss,” The lower voice of Yang was filled with an authority and seriousness that kept Weiss from replying. “I get it. Alright? I understand why you want to wait, and I’m really okay with it. If I wasn’t, I would already have told you, but you know that, right?”

Weiss nodded silently. The blonde wasn’t known to be the one beating around the bush, and was always the first to speak up when she disagreed with something. As she looked up, Weiss saw the genuine smile, and the warm glint in the blonde’s eyes that made her fuzzy inside.

“Let’s just have fun today. In our ‘totally-not-date’ day.”

Weiss snorted as the blonde’s grin grew wider and she slapped her arm gently.

“Don’t be a pest.”

Weiss tried to keep her scowl as long as she could, but she really couldn’t do anything except smile when the tall blonde looked at her like that. With those soft eyes. And that face. And those beautifully, soft-looking, devilishly pink lips…

She shook her head promptly. Now was clearly not the time, in the middle of the crowd. Her heart beating slightly at a faster pace, Weiss followed as Yang leaded her at her favorite store, Yang describing it as ‘Heaven on Remnant’. She still had her doubts, but let the tall blonde humor her until, with a wide smile and a glint in her eyes, Yang pulled the smaller woman through a double glass door, and extended dramatically an arm behind her, showing the entirety of the store.

“Tadah!” She exclaimed in a sing-song voice, waiting for Weiss’s reaction.

It was… really heaven on Remnant. There were entire rows of bookshelves, almost crawling with books, new and older ones on one side, the other side were the CDs. In the front, small objects, pen, coloring pencils, paint, pads of papers, everything an art student would ever dream of was filling the small crates and presenters. There were also small things, book marks of all sorts, silly erasers, blocks of post-it in different forms and colors… There were so many things. Weiss thought she could get lost, or happily waste many hours looking through all the furniture there was. Weiss didn’t even need to look up to see Yang’s smug look, and instead chose to gently slip her fingers between Yang’s, tugging lightly, and walked slowly around, touching and toying with many things, making their way slowly to the rows of CDs. Yang chuckled more than once when Weiss found something she thought cute and gasped, stopping, and showing it to the blonde with a smile of pure happiness. There were also board games, and Yang tugged on the hand in hers for Weiss to follow her this time, and she happily complied. The blonde pointed at many card games that Ruby and her had already played, telling Weiss a particularly moment when Ruby, thinking she would wipe all of Yang’s troops from the board, used it against her own troops, and the girl cried for a good two hours. They moved through the rows, Yang sharing stories and telling jokes, until they finally get to the part they wanted.

“Okay” Yang squeezed the hand in hers once, smiling down to the smaller woman. “What are you searching for?”

“I didn’t really had ideas” Weiss admitted, faking a guilty look. “I wanted you to surprise me.”

Blonde eyebrows perked up, a smug grin tugging at the corner of her lips. She nodded sharply, her eyes trailing on the rows, her blonde brows already creased, thoughtful. After a few seconds, she huffed, nodding again with satisfaction.

“I am so gonna make it worth your while.”

 

 

“How much?” Weiss asked, shocked, her voice hitting a certain pitch.

“275 dollars, ma’am.” The clerk repeated, his face unreadable.

She narrowed her eyes at the clerk, then jerked her head to the side to glare at Yang, who shrugged and held her hands in the air with an apologetic smile. Shaking her head with a sigh, she glared at the piles of CDs arranged neatly in front of her. It was an atrociously high price for something so… useless, she thought. But that wasn’t like she couldn’t afford it. Hell, she could buy the entire store if she wanted. She closed her eyes for a split second, then reached for the card in her wallet, extending it to the clerk with a resigned sigh.

After her purchases were placed in the bag with the name of the store staple in bright, red letters, she walked to Yang who was sitting on a bench with her arms lying along the back of it, a scowl on her face.

“You could have told me it was going to be expensive,” she mumbled, sitting beside the blonde on the bench.

Yang shrugged again with a small smile.

“First: I didn’t think you cared. Second: you weren’t checking the prices, so I didn’t tell. Third: you still brought all of them.”

Her smile widened when she saw the heiress rolling her eyes, a chuckle passing her lips.

“I’m used to paying big prices for dresses for my father’s balls, but CDs are just… Really small.”

“Okay, so you’re fine paying five hundred or more for a dress you’ll wear once or twice, but grumble about three hundred for CDs that you’ll actually used more than three times.”

“… Now that you say it like that…” Weiss murmured, her fingers toying with the handle of her bag.

The larger hand of Yang wrapped gently atop her own, and she looked up into lilac eyes.

“I was teasing. No need for brooding.”

The scowl Weiss had only deepened, making Yang laugh as she moved to stand.

“Alright, Ice queen. How about ice cream?”

 

 

They were walking back slowly, their ice cream long since eaten, Weiss’s bag in Yang’s hand after many protest from the heiress. Weiss held the large hand of Yang in hers, leaning her head on the blonde’s shoulder as they walked on the small trail, tall trees with falling red leaves on surrounding it. They were alone, the weather was blissfully warm for the autumn season. The air smelled of wetted dirt, with the crisp fresh of the soon-to-be winter. Weiss sighed contentedly, snuggling closer to the blonde, stealing her warmth. She looked up with a smile, squeezing gently the hand in hers so Yang looked at her.

“It was fun, today,” she said softly, nuzzling on the blonde’s shoulder slightly. “We should do this again.”

Yang smiled, her eyes glinting with warmth and care, leaning her head to gently kiss the top of the white head.

“Yeah, I had a lot of fun, too. You’re really cute when you listen to a song you really like.” the blonde giggled.

Weiss elbowed her gently but said nothing, still smiling.

“I wish today would never end.” She breathed softly.

She felt good, better than in a really, _really_ long while. Hell, she could dare and say she was happy, comfortably nestled against Yang, in a beautiful place, after a wonderful day.

Yang shrugged gently, not wanting to disturb the smaller woman against her.

“It doesn’t have to, you know.”

“Yang-”

“We could listen to these together.” She said with a small grin, raising the hand with the bag of CDs.

There it was. The pang of guilt. She slowed her pace, a crinkle between snow-white brows.

“I wish I could, Yang.”

It took a couple seconds for the blonde to understand, her features passing from confusion to a quick flash of sadness, before stopping with that unreadable face Weiss hated.

“Oh, right. We’re not dating. I forgot for a second, sorry.”

Even if she knew Yang was genuine, the pang of guilt only grew, and Weiss stopped, holding Yang’s hand tighter in hers, staring at the ground. Yang stopped beside her, looking down with a concerned look.

“Hey, you alright?”

When Weiss didn’t answer, Yang set the bag on the ground and gently lifted her chin, so she could see into the gorgeous, sky-blue eyes. She saw the guilt in her eyes, mixed with… something else. It killed her to see those beautiful eyes filled with this. She thumbed the smaller woman’s lips, gently caressing the underside of the pink bottom lip, before leaning in and kissing her gently, feeling Weiss press against hers instantly. A cool hand run up her arm and brushed against her cheek, before slipping through the golden mane and settling at the base of her neck, Weiss pressing to make the kiss deeper. When they parted, the heiress leaned her forehead against Yang’s, both her hands cupping the blonde’s cheeks and she closed her eyes.

“Yang, I… I really want to tell Blake and Ruby. I really want to tell everyone. I want to climb into your bunk so I could cuddle you. I want to hold your hand when we walk down the hallways. I want to kiss you in front of your sister.”

That earned a small chuckle from Yang, warming her heart for a moment, and she took a deep breath before resuming.

“But I know if I do that, one day, somehow, my father will know. Words always finish reaching his ears. And I know for a fact that he won’t approve of you.”

“Weiss, I know you’re scared-”

“I’m not scared, Yang” she interrupted her, opening her eyes to look into the blonde’s eyes. “I’m terrified. I’m terrified of what he’ll do to you or your family. That’s why I can’t run up to the roof and yell into the wind that I’m dating the most gorgeous woman of the world.”

Yang smiled a small smile, her warm fingers brushing over her cheeks, temples, hair, just everywhere they could reach.

“But with each dates, it’s getting difficult to not tell the others. It’s already our fifth, and I’m positive that I’m falling for you deeper every time.” She said shyly, clenching her jaw for a second, swallowing.

She looked up, and she could see a mix of emotions in those beautiful lilac eyes.

“Weiss… Are you saying, I mean, are you… Dumping me?” Yang whispered, her fingers trembling against her skin for a second.

The heiress smiled softly, pushing a golden lock behind the blonde’s ear.

“No. I’m asking if you want to be by my side when my father’s wrath reaches us.”

There was a silence, blue eyes locked with lavender ones, as Yang’s face passed from fear, to understanding, and finally settling to mild amusement.

“This isn’t some kind of marriage proposal, is it?”

Weiss chuckled quietly, slapping the blonde’s shoulder gently.

“Don’t be a pest. I’m serious.”

Yang smiled and leaned down, taking Weiss’s lips again.

“Let’s tell the people we trust, alright? And when we’re in public, we’ll keep it low-key. How does that sound?” Yang asked against Weiss’s lips.

Weiss only nodded, leaning in to kiss Yang with a renewed hunger.

 

“Yang and I… Are dating. For a while, now.”

Weiss stood in the center of their dorm room, toying with her fingers while Yang leaned against the bedframe, arms crossed. Ruby and Blake were still at the same place they were when they left, but Blake’s book was much thicker on one side now, and words were actually darkening the pages in front of Ruby.

“I uh… I wanted to tell you, because it’s important for us,” she said as she glanced to the blonde, who gave her an encouraging smile. “Important for me.”

The glance Blake and Ruby shared made her blush, and Yang grin.

“Oh, we know” Ruby shrugged.

“Told you” Yang slipped towards the heiress, who grimaced.

“Subtlety is not really in both of your habits. It was kind of obvious.” Blake added, a playful smile on the corner of her lips.

The grimace only deepened as Weiss sat on the edge of her bed, holding her head in her hands.

“My father is going to kill me” She mumbled to herself, already feeling a headache coming.

A large, warm palm rested in the middle of her back, right between her shoulder blades, as the bed bent to her right, Yang sitting beside her.

“Hey, I told you. No brooding. Only Blake can in this room.”

The pillow came so fast in Yang’s face, Weiss hadn’t even saw Blake throw it. But the faunus was still smiling and Yang laughed, and her coming headache seemed to go away. For now, at least. Yang stood and gave Blake’s pillow back, before grabbing Weiss’s bag and brought it back to Weiss’s bed, with two sets of headphone she’d bought. She gently scooted Weiss over and lay on her back, Weiss hesitating for only a split second before cuddling the blonde’s side, her head resting comfortably in the crook of her shoulder. Yang then pulled out a handful of CDs, showing them to Weiss.

“Which one?”

The heiress hummed for a second, then tapped with her index finger at the fifth.

“Oh, _Dream Theater_. Good choice.”

Yang took her scroll and passed it twice over the CD, waiting for the downloading ring to appear. When the CD was loaded in her scroll, she plugged both their headphones, pressed the play button and closed her eyes, smiling happily when the smaller woman snuggled closer.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss wants Winter to meet Yang after they've been together for a while

Weiss had never felt this happy before in her life. And truly, it showed. More often than not, Blake woke up with the sight of Weiss comfortably snuggled up against Yang, their arms and legs a tangled mess, golden and ivory tresses mixed and sprawled on the pillows. More often than not, she saw Weiss, slamming her hand on her scroll to stop her alarm… Only to turn her back to it and snuggle closer to the blonde, falling back to sleep instantly. Or the way their hands met, fingers lacing together when they walked in the hallways. Or the way they looked at each other and understood without exchanging a word. Weiss started to be more understanding, enjoying herself more often with the team’s activities. The heiress starting to do things for the hell of it, because it could be fun. She smiled and laughed a lot, now. But the changes didn’t stop at Weiss. Yang started to become a lot more responsible with her studies, with her money, and her things in general. She was a lot more conscious about others and, oddly, started having a sense of tact, which, really, made Blake laugh a lot. But there weren’t really bad changes. The two liked each other a whole lot, and they both were happy. As the months went by, they only seemed to grow closer and closer, but Blake wasn’t about to complain. It was nice, the four of them, in such a nice and loving environment. Ruby was happy for them, too, but still kept a close look on Weiss, protective of her older sister. Sometimes, the two partners would gently bicker to know which one was about to have the cuddly session with Yang, only resulting at what Ruby called a ‘team bonding night’, the four of them all snuggled on the mattresses they had laid on the floor, a mountain of pillows and blankets to keep them comfortable and warm while they watched a movie or a series. Really, Weiss couldn’t be happier.

She decided it was time.

“I’d like to introduce her to you,” Weiss’s voice came out in short burst as she quickly walked in the hallway going to the training room, her scroll held to her ear. “I know you’re busy, but-”

“Are you serious?” Winter’s voice was soft, almost hesitant, and Weiss stopped in her track, her brows furrowed, taken aback.

“I’m-Well, yes, I am. I really want you to meet her, Winter.”

“Do you realise that it’s the first time you actually want me to meet your girlfriend?”

The heiress opened her mouth, prepared to object, but as she thought she realised that Winter was right. She had mentioned that she had girlfriends before, but never did she ask to introduce them to her older sister. After a few seconds of silence, she started to walk again, this time at a slow pace, and let out a small sigh.

“She’s really important to me, Winter,” she said softly, a small smile on her lips.

After a few seconds of silence, Weiss started to frown. Did her sister hung up? She was about to call the older woman’s name when she heard a short humming on the line.

“Then I’ll make time. I’m looking forward to meet your girlfriend, Weiss.”

Weiss smiled, lowering her voice slightly, her tone teasing.

“Don’t scare her off, alright?”

“That depends of her” her sister huffed slightly, the slight amused tone reserved for her sister present.

 

 

Two days later, Weiss was sitting in the dorm room at her desk, writing down notes from her textbook while Blake read a book, curled up on her bed and Ruby tapped on her scroll screen, playing a video game, when the heiress’s scroll vibrated, indicating a receiving call. As she looked up, slightly annoyed at whoever was disturbing her, a smile pulled her lips as she saw her sister’s name flashing on the screen, and she took the call.

“Winter, hi! How are y-”

When she stopped in the middle of her sentence, Blake looked up to the white-haired woman, the look of joy shifting to panic as her sky-blue eyes widened.

“What? Today?” Gaping slightly, she let go of her pen, blinking. “Right now?”

She pushed her chair back to stand, and in sync with Ruby and Blake, raised her eyes to the ceiling as a deep rumble started to be heard, making the glass of the window shake.

“Oh my gosh, you really are here” Weiss murmured, perplex, pulling slightly at the curtains to peek outside.

Worried, Blake stood beside Weiss, looking through the window and she saw a big, snow white airship with the Schnee crest on its side lowering itself on Beacon’s roof, the rumbling growing louder. Blake could see the pulse in Weiss’s neck jump and beat faster, her hand clutching tightly on the fabric of the curtain, and she rested her hand on the tense shoulder of the smaller woman.

“Yes. I’ll meet you there.” Weiss finally let out, her eyes locking with Blake’s as she thumbed the screen to end the call.

Blake held the heiress’s gaze for a moment, until Weiss fell back in her chair, running a hand through her hair.

“Help me, Blake. I wasn’t expecting her for a few weeks, maybe months. Much less unannounced like that.”

“What is she doing here?” the faunus asked, sitting on the edge of her bed and taking the heiress’s hand in hers.

“She wants to meet Yang” Weiss admitted with a weak smile. “But I didn’t have time to prepare myself, it’s only been two days since I told her, and…”

She swallowed, then glanced up again, locking her eyes with Blake’s.

“I’m freaking out. I really want her to like Yang, she’s the only member of my family that I want to-”

“Weiss” Ruby interrupted, jumping from her bed and landing heavily, before warmly squeezing the older woman’s shoulder. “It’s going to be fine. Yang knows what it’s like, she’s a big sister too. Just go see your sister, and I’ll call mine back.”

Weiss stared at her for a moment, before standing up and gently hugging her partner, who hugged her back, patting her shoulder lightly. Taking a deep breath, she pulled away, her jaw set, her eyes determined.

“Thank you. Both of you,” she added, glancing over to Blake.

She walked to the door, grabbed the doorknob and opened it, stepping outside. But before she closed it, she hesitated, looking back in the dorm room.

“I really wish you’ll like her. She means so much to me” she added softly, before smiling at her two friends and closing the door.

 

 

“Ruby Rose, I presume?”

The tall, white haired woman extended a hand towards the smaller brunet, a discrete smile tugging at her lips. When silver eyes glanced back and forth between the offered hand to the older woman’s face, then back at the hand, Weiss elbowed her partner in the ribs while couching in her fist gracefully. Brought back from her thoughts, the young leader smiled and took the hand, shaking it twice, before the gloved hand of Winter pulled away. Winter straightened her back slightly when she turned to face Blake, her smile faltering slightly. Weiss, feeling the growing tension, slipped beside the faunus, noticing the nervous twitch of Blake’s bow, that she put back on a second before the two sisters entered the room.

“Blake Belladonna.” Winter’s voice dropped an octave, her face unreadable, staring at the golden eyes. “The Belladonna name is well-known in our family history.” She added coolly.

At what Blake swallowed, but did not look away, and Weiss stepped forward, slightly extending her arm in front of the faunus.

“She is one of my best friends, Winter” Weiss warned, a small scowl on her face as she stared up at her sister.

But she kept staring at the faunus, and after a few seconds, her sharp features softened.

“Weiss speaks highly of you,” she finally said, extending her hand. “And I trust her.”

After a split second, Blake hesitated. But she carefully took the offered hand, shaking it twice, like Ruby.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you” Winter smiled her discreet, small smile. “Both of you. My sister cannot stop talking about her friends.” She added, looking down fondly at Weiss.

Weiss made her nose crinkle, taking her sister’s hand and squeezing lightly with a smile. Ruby had noticed that Weiss made this cute thing with her nose only when she was genuinely happy, and she relaxed, touching the heiress’s elbow to catch her attention.

“I told Yang to come back; she’ll be here any second, now.”

Weiss opened her mouth to thank her when the door slammed open, Yang breathing heavily, her bag slung hastily over her shoulder already dropping. And she also was covered in sweat, her clothes clinging to her skin.

“Ruby?! What is it? What’s the emergency? Are you hurt?”

Her wide, panicked lilac eyes searched in the room, trying to find _something_ that could count as an emergency. Yang’s head had gone wild between the short run from the training room and the dorms, expecting to see blood all across the walls, or the room set on fire, or-

She shook her head with a small grunt, she calmed her breathing as her eyes fell on a tall figure she didn’t recognised. She blinked, recognising the hair and the eyes, and the cold stare that was throwing daggers at her.

“ _You_ ’re the emergency,” she breathed, pointing at the person who could only be Weiss’s older sister.

She closed the door behind her with a sigh mixed with a groan, leaning her back to it while her bag slipped to the floor.

“Don’t _ever_ scare me like that again, Ruby. Ever.” She mumbled, and the younger woman giggled sheepishly, shrugging helplessly.

The blonde sighed again, closing her eyes for half a second, and pulled on her shirt to wipe the sweat covering her face, extending her hand to Weiss’s older sister with a smile.

“You must be Winter? I’m glad to finally meet y-”

“What are you _doing_?” the shrill of Weiss’s voice pierced everyone’s ears as she stomped to the blonde. “Don’t wipe your sweat on your shirt that’s _disgusting_! Where is your towel?”

“I forgot it when I left” she blinked, her hand falling to her side. “It’s probably in the bathroom. Besides, my clothes are already soaked.”

“That’s beside the point, Yang!”

Winter discreetly took a step back and away from the bickering women, only to stand beside Blake and Ruby who looked at the scene with a detachment due to the normality of it. Blake was rolling her eyes and Ruby was sighing, burying her nose in her coffee mug, exchanging a knowing look with Blake. Leaning slightly over to Blake, she talked low enough to not be heard by her sister.

“I guess I can see why she’s with Yang” she said casually. “The girl is built like a tank.”

Ruby spitted in her mug, before starting a coughing fit, her face a deep crimson as she tried to not drown in her coffee, while Blake tried, and failed, to hide her smile behind her fist, faking small coughs as she patted her leader’s back. It had been hard to miss the rippling abs of the blonde when she pulled up her shirt, and the tank top was showing Yang’s powerful shoulder and arms as well. The short shorts the blonde wore showed toned, long muscular legs, but the woman was still incredibly beautiful. On that, Winter could only agree with her sister.

Her blue eyes looked back to her sister, who was pushing a rather exasperated tall blonde into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Weiss sighed, rubbing her fingers against her temple while muttering under her breath as she turned on her heels, stopping when she saw her sister’s small, amused smile.

“She’s taking a shower” she pointed at the door she just closed, the sound of falling water on cue. “She’ll be back in ten.”

And so, Winter sat in the chair of Weiss’s desk, the three other women sitting on the edge of the beds, talking gently. Winter asked how they’d met, what their classes were, and just wanting to know her little sister’s friends a bit better. Not that she really needed to. Weiss described them with many details. But now, at least, she could put a face and a voice on Weiss’s stories. Weiss started to relax, Ruby’s, Blake’s and even Winter’s body language telling they were at ease with the conversation. After a moment, the bathroom door opened and Yang walked to them, her jeans hugging her curves just right, and her light, soft lavender shirt matching with her eyes. As the blonde was tying her hair up, Yang and Weiss’s eyes locked, and the heiress realized how nervous her girlfriend was. Hell, she even made an effort to look presentable. But the confident smile soon returned to the blonde’s lips as she leaned down to kiss Weiss’s temple.

“Hey” she murmured, nuzzling ivory hair for a second.

“Hi” the smaller woman smiled, her hand reaching up to lace her fingers with Yang’s.

But Yang could feel a cold stare on her neck, and she glanced up as Winter looked at Ruby.

“Do you mind giving us the room? I’d like to have a private conversation.”

Weiss frowned and was about to protest, but Ruby stood easily, nodding at Blake to do the same.

“Yeah, sure. Have a nice chat!”

As she brushed past the blonde, Ruby quickly gave her sister an encouraging smile and a thumb up before closing the door behind the black and red pair.

Still standing, Yang took a step forward, towards Winter, with a smile on her lips.

“Winter, it’s really nice to meet you. Weiss talked about you a lot.”

The older woman stood slowly, her face unreadable, and took the hand Yang was offering her.

“She talked about you a lot, too.” She let out, her voice even.

They stared into each other’s eyes, slowly shaking their hands, straightening their back slightly. Yang was taller by a few inches, her powerful shoulders making her larger, but the cold, calculated, militarized posture of Winter made it so, so much more intimidating.

“Look,” Yang finally sighed. “I know how this goes. I’m a big sister too. And I have to say…” she flashed a glance at Weiss, who was biting her lips in anticipation, and smiled weakly. “I’m terrified.”

The corner of Winter’s lips twitched upward slightly, her eyes never moving from the cold, calculated stare as she pulled her hand from Yang’s and rested it behind her back.

“Good.”

The voice was soft, satisfied, as the older woman sat back in her char, crossing her leg over her knee in one gracious motion, her eyes never leaving Yang’s.

Weiss narrowed her eyes at her sister, a scowl on her face as Yang sat beside her.

“I told you not to scare her off” Weiss growled, her fists tightening on her lap.

At what Winter raised a single eyebrow.

“And I told you that it depended of her.”

The heiress was about to retort something when she felt Yang’s hand brush against hers, Weiss’s long, thin fingers lacing together with Yang’s thicker ones.

“It’s alright, Weiss. I’m just not used being intimidated.”

Weiss flashed a glance at her, and the blonde winked at her, her smile more assured.

“How long have you been together?” Winter’s cold voice interrupted.

Yang straightened her head, looking back at the older woman, serious.

“A year, two months and four days” she answered instantly.

Weiss raised her eyebrows, dumbstruck. After a little thinking, she nodded, looking up at the blonde.

“Exactly. Since our first date.”

“Our ‘non-official’ date, you mean” Yang glanced down, amusement glinting in her eyes.

Winter stared at the blonde with a deadpanned look, than glanced at her sister.

“A year. You kept me in the dark for a year.”

Yang’s eyebrows furrowed, a crease between her brows. Weiss looked guiltily to her sister, toying with Yang’s fingers.

“I wanted to be sure. I don’t want you to meet just anyone, Winter.”

The older woman stared at her sister for a few seconds, before returning her attention to the blonde, her face unreadable.

 _Must be a genetic trait_ , Yang thought. _They both are really good at this_.

For a good half hour, Winter ‘interrogated’ Yang, asking question after question, neither of them faltering from the assault, ignoring Weiss’s protestations. Sometimes, Weiss answered the questions, Yang agreeing, but most of the time, the blonde spoke. Weiss could feel a deep headache coming.

“Are you having sex?” Winter asked, completely at ease, as if she was asking about the weather.

“Winter!” Weiss snapped, standing, her face beet red from the embarrassment.

Winter glanced at her sister, completely unfazed. Yang gently pulled on the heiress’s hand, smiling up at her, the small tinges of a blush covering her cheeks.

“It’s alright, Weiss. I’d do the same if it was Ruby. No, we don’t” she answered to the older woman. “Not yet, anyway.”

The older woman cocked her head to the side, the only sign of interest she’d shown since the start of her interrogation.

“Why?”

“Because there are two sets of ears, one of them is my baby sister, and the other can hear a nail falling on the carpeted floor down the hall” Yang snorted, rolling her eyes as if it was obvious. “And I don’t consider shower sex to be a remotely acceptable first time.”

Weiss crossed her arms over her chest, her face taking a shade of red darker.

“It wouldn’t be my first time, you know” she mumbled, looking at anything except the two other women in the room.

“And I never implied that” Yang gently insisted, tugging slightly at her sleeves to look her into the eyes. “But it’s gonna be _our_ first time. I want it to be perfect.”

She winked, and Weiss felt yet another rush of heat run up to her face, and she just threw her hands in the air before her with a frustrated grunt.

“You know what? I’m going to make some tea.”

And she stormed off the room, the door shutting with a little more force than necessary. Her leave only put the two women in a deep silence, Yang starting to feel anxious with Weiss gone, feeling the cold stare of Weiss’s sister. It felt like an eternity, like ages had passed with them sitting silently, Yang toying with her fingers, pulling on them, fearing they would tear off her hand. Suddenly, Winter leaned over, planting her elbows on her knees, her face sharp, a small frown on her face that looked just like Weiss’s.

“Listen. From what I have seen, you seem like a good woman. From what Weiss told me too, and she’s a person that has a hard time to trust people.”

She narrowed her eyes, making her eyes look even sharper as she resumed.

“I just want to make sure you are not using this trust.”

Yang straightened her head, the crease between her brows deepening.

“What do you mean?”

“Our family is very wealthy. We have a lot of money. Position. If you are trying to get advantage of th-”

“I don’t care about her money” Yang interrupted, furious at the accusations Winter was throwing at her. “I don’t care about her position.”

“Really?” Her eyes narrow slightly more, only two slits of cold, ice-blue eyes. “I have known many people that tried to do that. The Schnee name is a powerful one.”

“I don’t care about her name!” Yang snarled, her eyes flashing red, her fists squeezed tight, reminding herself that she couldn’t throttle her girlfriend’s sister. “I don’t want her money, her fame, her position! I want the girl that makes my heart flip just because she laughs! I want the girl that groans at my puns! I want the girl that holds my hand when I’m angry, because I know that girl can melt it away!”

Yang was tense, breathing heavily, her hands twitching on her lap.

“I don’t want Schnee, I want Weiss!”

She glared at Winter, who once again was unfazed by what was happening in front of her. The older sister still stared at her, her face unreadable, perfectly still, while Yang was breathing hard, her eyes red, feeling hot and wanting to punch something. It was that time Weiss chose to come back, opening the door with three cups in her hands, and when she glanced at the blonde she immediately frowned, glaring at her sister accusingly.

“What did you do? I asked you to be nice, Winter!” She growled, quickly leaving the cups on the desk before taking one of Yang’s hand. “Hey, look at me. Look at me. Breathe, sweetie, breathe.”

As soon as Weiss’s hand touched hers, she felt calmer already. She knew she was with Weiss for her, and her alone, not for her stupid money. And when she looked up in those beautiful pools of sky-blue eyes, she knew it was true. The angry red flare washed slowly back to soft lavender, and Weiss leaned over, pressing a soft and tender kiss on the blonde’s forehead, and Yang closed her eyes, sighing. She could feel her hand trembling in Weiss’s, her breath shaky and weak. It was always the same, when her semblance activated because of her emotions. She was vulnerable. But in Weiss’s hands, she didn’t care at all.

“What did you talked about?” she asked, softly whispering.

“Nothing important” the blonde lied, leaning into the touch.

Snorting, Weiss pulled away slightly and glanced down. “Because you always get angry like that when you talk about things that are not important.” She let out, raising a single eyebrow, her tone sarcastic.

Yang only sighed, her shoulders slouching a bit.

“Fine, you don’t want to talk about it.” Weiss finally sighed, pushing back a stray golden lock behind her ear. “We’ll talk later. I’ve brought tea.”

With a small pat under the blonde’s chin, she walked back to the desk where she had left the cups, gave one to her sister with a suspicious glare, and pressed another in the blonde’s hands.

“I know you don’t like tea, so I made you that hot cocoa you like” She said, sitting down on the other side of her to stand between her and Winter. “With four marshmallows. Because it’s perfect like that.” She grinned at Yang, using the blonde’s words while she sipped at her cup.

Yang looked down at her cup, the brown mixture swirling softly, the odd shapes of the soft sweets covered with the liquid and slowly melting. Weiss knew how she liked her cocoa. Just like Yang knew how Weiss liked her tea. And with the conversation she just had with Winter, looking down at her cup right now… She wanted to cry.

The older Schnee was sipping her tea silently, looking at the younger women. Yang looked sincere, and right know she kind of looked… broken. She saw Weiss’s face scrunch up, her hand gently resting on the blonde’s arms.

“Are you alright?”

Lilac eyes looked up in blue, seeing worry and concern in them. She nodded slightly, her breath catching in her throat for a second, before she let out a small, shaky breath.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” Weiss’s expression passed from worry to confusion, causing one waving wrinkle on the smaller woman’s forehead.

“… For the cocoa.”

Weiss raised her eyebrows, but before she could say something, Winter suddenly stood, setting her cup down on the desk and cleared her throat quietly.

“I know you don’t want me to tell Father, and I won’t. But you do realize that _someday_ , he will know.”

“I know. We both do” Weiss glanced at Yang, wrapping her pinky with the blonde’s.

Winter nodded, thoughtful, looking absently at Yang who seemed to recover from their conversation.

“Then I will vouch for her when Father hears.”

Weiss took a moment to realise what her sister had just said.

“You mean-”

“I mean that I approve of her. She is making you happy.”

Weiss jumped to her feet, quickly abandoning her cup on the desk before hugging her sister, who looked a little shocked but still wrapped her arms around the smaller frame. Yang stood silently, setting her mug aside. Winter gently pulled her sister away and stepped in front of the blonde, both of them staring each other in the eyes before a small smile tugged at the elder’s lips.

“Yang Xiao Long. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

After a hot second of hesitation, Yang extended her hand and Winter took it, shaking it twice. But before one of them could pull away, there was a glint passing in the elder’s eyes.

“You must be on hell of a woman to be with my little sister and making her as happy as you do.”

A cocky smile pulled Yang’s lips slowly as Weiss snorted, patting gently the blonde’s back.

“Oh, she is.”


	4. Chapter 4

Months went by, and winter came, along with the holidays. Yang and Ruby invited their teammates at their home, at Patch, for the holidays, if it were alright with them. Blake answered that she’ll go, her hometown being too far away to make it worth the travel. Weiss was not so easily convinced. Well, Weiss’s father. The heiress wanted to go with her girlfriend more than anything. And so, when she called her father, she used a little, small white lie, saying that it was her teammates’ father that invited them, and that it would be rude of her to refuse such a gracious offer, and eventually, he complied. It was with happy hearts that they all gathered their things, and stepped out in the cold winter air, boarding the airship to make the long travel to Patch Island.

As Yang and Ruby fell asleep, the younger sister’s head comfortably tucked in the crook of Yang’s shoulder, Weiss was restless, pacing back and forth in front of the large windows, staring at the city below.

“Weiss?”

Stopping, the heiress raised her head in direction of the call, seeing Blake staring at her, a worried frown scrunching her features a bit, holding two cups in her hands.

“I was about to give you some coffee, but… You seem awake enough” she joked, still pressing the cup in Weiss’s hands.

“Thank you” the smaller woman mumbled, taking it with both hands, and she sipped at her cup a little, finally still.

They stayed silent for a moment, side by side, gazing at the scenery below them, until Blake brushed her hand on Weiss’s arm.

“I really don’t think you should be this nervous, you know” the faunus softly said, smiling a little when blue eyes looked up at her. “Taiyang seems like a good man, a kind man” she insisted, remembering how much Ruby talked about him. “I’m sure he’ll be happy for you and Yang.”

Weiss seemed to deflate, holding her cup as if she was drowning.

“But what if he doesn’t? My father is a terrible man, and he did awful things with the company, and since I’m the heir what tells you that he won’t kick me out of his hou-”

“Weiss” Blake interrupted firmly, setting her cup aside on a small table beside her to hold the smaller woman’s shoulders so they could be face-to-face. “You are not your father. Do you understand me?”

Their eyes locked for a second, Weiss swallowing thickly, and glanced down as she nodded quietly. Blake’s grip only tightened, gentle but firm on the heiress’s shoulders.

“Yang is not with you for your last name, and you know it, Weiss. She loves you – _We_ love you” she added, slightly shaking the shoulders in her hands, “because of who you are, not what you are. This is important for you to understand, Weiss.”

Gently, Blake’s fingers went up, raising Weiss’s chin so their eyes could meet again.

“You are enough. Perfect the way you are.”

Blake knew better than to ask Weiss about her family, or her past. But as she looked down on the pools of blue slowly filling with tears, the chin trembling on her fingers and the thin, trembling line of her lips, she had to wonder if someone ever told her something like she did. Weiss set her cup aside silently, lowering her head so her face was hidden behind her bangs, and gently hugged the faunus, hiding her face in the taller woman’s neck. Blake leaned her cheek on alabaster hair, wrapping her arms around the smaller frame against her, rubbing her back softly.

“Pretty sure he’s kind of like his daughters. Ruby said that Yang looked a lot like him, so I’m guessing you don’t need to worry” she tried to joke after a while, gently kissing the head against her cheek.

She heard a snort somewhere in her neck, and Weiss pulled away, holding the faunus’s hands and she took a deep breath as she looked up, a small, still trembling smile on her lips.

“Thank you. I needed that” she breathed gently, squeezing the hands in hers.

“Anytime, Weiss. Anytime” she smiled, winking, as she reached for her cup with one hand, never leaving Weiss’s hand with her other.

Weiss did the small thing with her nose, the crinkle that made her smile and her eyes look even more genuine as she reached, too, for her cup, and they stayed there, hand in hand, sipping their coffee while they looked at the slowly passing city below them.

 

**** 

 

Closing the door of the cab and watching it go down the road, she took a deep breath, the fresh air hurting her nose and her breath transforming into a puff of smoke. Pulling on her back-pack strap on her shoulder, she turned on her heels, smiling softly as she saw Ruby bounce on the familiar trail, a small fence boarding it, and before she could lay her hand on the doorknob, the door flew open, a tall, blonde man appearing in the doorframe.

“My girls!” he cheered, stepping outside as Ruby jumped in his arms, a large smile on his lips. “My girls are back!”

Yang laughed softly, walking the distance to hug her father as he lowered Ruby to the ground.

“Hey Dad” she smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck as she felt his around her back, hugging her close to him.

“’Hey Dad’? What kind of greeting is this?” he exclaimed, pulling her away slightly, his smile still warm. “I expected you to break some of my ribs!”

She snorted, rolling her eyes as she stepped back, and Ruby was already pulling Blake and Weiss by the hand to introduce them.

“So, here’s Blake” Ruby touched the faunus’s elbow as she stepped forward, holding her hand for him to shake.

“Blake, yes” he smiled, stepping forward, taking the offered hand and shaking it, still smiling. “I heard a lot of things about you.”

Blake’s eyebrows furrowed, and as she opened her mouth to say something, Yang pulled Weiss closer to her.

“And this is… This is Weiss” she smiled down at the smaller woman, her hand resting on her lower back.

His blue eyes fell on the slightly paler blue of Weiss’s, and she swallowed quickly, trying to smile as confidently as possible as she extended a slightly shaking hand. But his smile seemed to grow larger, his hand much bigger and warmer than hers, shaking it a few times.

“So this is the woman who stole my daughter’s heart, huh?” he laughed, pulling away to rest his hands on his hips. “It’s really nice to finally meet you. Both of you” he glanced towards his guests as he smiled.

Weiss let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, and she felt Yang’s hand on her back rub slightly, noticing how tense she was.

“Who’s hungry?” Tai clapped his hands together, looking at Ruby who promptly raised her hand above her head, bouncing. “Come on in, everyone!”

 

**** 

 

It had been a long travel aboard the airship, and they were indeed hungry. Tai must have thought they were an army; the table was crawling with food. Then again, Weiss thought as she glanced over at Ruby, who was almost vacuuming the food on her plate, Ruby and Yang _did_ eat a lot. The tall blonde man was visibly happy, talking with his daughters, asking questions to Blake and Weiss as he put a batch of cookies in the oven. He kept scoffing at Weiss as she always answered his questions with ‘yes sir’ or ‘no sir’, always telling her that she could call him Tai, or Taiyang, if she wanted. Blake was more at ease, talking and joking soon after they started their meal, the bow covering her ears forgotten in Ruby’s pocket, as it was the first thing the young leader did when they entered.

As the evening went by, Weiss slowly felt at ease. Yang was indeed the daughter of her father, and he was talking, telling stories, gesturing with his hands, his smile warm and his eyes, welcoming. The beers helped a little, too, she had to say. Tai, knowing they’d had guest, and knowing that Yang liked a little alcohol when there were celebrations, had bought a few pack of beers, and bottles of stronger alcohol, since he liked whiskey. And after they finished eating, they traveled to the living room, sitting in front of the hearth, Weiss trading her empty bottle with a glass of scotch, the amber liquid shining and sending warm tones on her skin. She was sitting in a loveseat, knees crossed, her elbow planted on the armrest, her chin in one hand and her glass in the other, listening to one of Tai’s hunting story, and she felt two large, warm hands on her shoulders.

“You alright?” Yang asked, and felt her kiss her temple.

She closed her eyes, humming, leaning into the touch.

“Yes, I am” she murmured, turning her head so she could nuzzle the blonde’s cheek. “Why?”

“Just wanted to make sure. You’re drinking a lot” the warm voice of her girlfriend was right in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

She laughed softly, looking up at Yang.

“I used to drink a lot more at my father’s events, Yang. Trust me, I’m only enjoying the evening. Plus,” she added, raising her glass for the blonde to see, “your father has good taste.”

Yang snorted, rolling her eyes but she smiled nonetheless, tickling gently the heiress’s neck.

“Alrighty, then. You’re not obligated to listen to him” she said, glancing at her father, now telling his story to a very attentive Blake and a very bored Ruby. “He tells these stories like, every time.”

“No, it’s nice” Weiss assured, nuzzling her cheek again. “It was never this lively back at the mansion. It’s a nice change.”

Yang smiled, kissing her temple again, and started to straighten herself until Weiss grabbed her by her shirt, pulling gently the blonde down to her as she kissed her. The blonde hummed, smiling on Weiss’s lips, and the heiress angled her head to make it deeper, feeling Yang’s hand cup her cheek as she pulled the taller woman closer by her shirt. She’d forgotten where they were. Forgotten that they weren’t alone. A cushion hit them, breaking the kiss, and brought them back to reality.

“Eeewwww guys, take a room!” Ruby laughed, taking another cushion Blake was giving her to throw it at them.

Weiss snorted as she caught the second cushion, smirking at Ruby, her eyes glinting with mischief.

“Do you _really_ want us to take a room?” she asked, her eyebrows wiggling suggestively as Blake started laughing.

Ruby frowned for a second, then hid her face in her hands, leaning on Blake’s side as she grunted loudly.

“Oh, _ewww_ Weiss! I don’t want to know when you’re shagging my sister! Now I have those weird images – Quick Blake! Make me think of something else!”

The faunus, a little taken aback by the sudden request, glanced around the room quickly, and leaned over to take a handful of cookies and gave it to Ruby, who accepted them with a loud gasp.

Taiyang only sighed, shaking his head as he stood, stretching with a yawn.

“I’m getting too old for this” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Goodnight, ladies. I’ve already prepared the rooms, and you two” he pointed Yang and Weiss, his eyes narrowing slightly, “have the guest room, as requested.”

“Thanks, Dad” Yang mumbled, a small blush rising on her neck as he walked beside her and winked.

“Be nice, girls! Sleep tight!”

And he climbed the stairs, tripping on the last step, cursing under his breath. He, too, had drink a little too much.

Weiss lolled her head back, blinking slowly up at Yang while she toyed with a strand of blonde hair, arching a single eyebrow.

“So we could have a room for us. Alone” she added, raising her blonde eyebrows once, her blush rising to her cheeks.

She was used to sleep with Yang with other people in the room. Used to restrain their affection at night, to not wake their teammates. So it took a while to Weiss, with alcohol in her veins, to understand the meaning. And as her eyes grew wider, her eyebrows rising and her grip on Yang’s shirt tightened, she felt her heart miss a beat.

“Oh” Weiss breathed, and Yang lowered her head, her face crimson, as she heard Blake chuckle, somewhere out of her sight.

 

**** 

 

The four of them stayed in the living room a little more, talking, joking, and drinking. It wasn’t until Blake yawned discreetly, making Weiss yawn too, that they decided it was time to go to bed, being well past midnight. As Blake and Ruby stood and walked towards the stairs, Weiss downed the rest of her glass, setting it aside on the table, and stood.

She grimaced. The thing with her father’s events was that the heiress was always standing, so even if she drank a lot, she could get used to it. But now, as she stood, remembering how she was sitting all through her many glasses of scotch, her legs felt like noodles, and she had to lean on Yang.

“You alright?” immediately asked the blonde, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“Yes, just give me a minute, for I can remember I have legs” she muttered, chuckling slightly against Yang’s shirt.

The blonde snorted, starting to walk slowly as Weiss started to be used to the feeling, until she only held the blonde’s hand.

“Told you you were drinking a lot” the taller woman teased, glancing over her shoulder as Weiss pulled her tongue out at her, her nose crinkling.

The walk to the stairs was good, but in front of the steps, Weiss stopped, blinking once.

“I um… I might need some help for that” the heiress grimaced, pointing at the stairs, and Yang laughed, resting her hand on Weiss’s lower back.

“You know, I’ve never thought in my life I was gonna be the responsible adult having to carry my drunk girlfriend to bed” she joked, winking, as she easily lifted Weiss in her arms, bridal style.

“I’m not ‘drunk’” Weiss objected. “I’m just a little bit… tipsy. And I just needed a viable excuse for you to carry me” she pouted, her arms crossing on her chest as Yang climbed the stairs.

“You know you only had to ask” the blonde argued, glancing down with a smirk as she turned left, walking further down the hallway.

Weiss hummed, shifting in her arms, and leaned over, her lips brushing against Yang’s jawline.

“I like it when you carry me” she murmured, her voice smooth and low.

The taller woman glanced down, and she swallowed thickly, her heart missing a beat. Weiss stared at her, her eyes half lidded, and she felt more than she saw Weiss’s fingers along her neck, tracing and following a vein up her neck, ghosting over her jaw, and traced her lips, her touch soft, gentle, making sure to not put too much pressure on it. As Yang stopped in front of a door, she leaned down, kissing Weiss fully, the smaller woman immediately parting her lips and sliding a hand on her nape, making sure the blonde wouldn’t get away. Blindly, Yang opened the door, closing it with her foot as she walked to the bed, never leaving Weiss’s lips, carefully setting her down on the covers.

“Do you, um, do you want this? I mean-”

Weiss grunted, pulling her down by her shirt so she could kiss her but Yang took her hands gently, and Weiss looked up with a soft whine.

“I’m serious, Weiss” she insisted, ignoring the pout Weiss was making. “I don’t want our first time to be an alcohol-induced night. If you’re too drunk and won’t remember anything-”

“Yang” the heiress interrupted, taking the blonde’s head between her hands, staring straight into her lilac eyes. “I’m not that drunk. I told you, I’m only tipsy. If you really want proof, then I can recite the alphabet backward while setting a glyph above your head. But I’m telling you: I will remember, and I really want this, so can you _please_ shut up, kiss me and touch me?”

Yang stared into her eyes for a moment longer, and she could see how lucid she was. So she leaned in and kissed her, Weiss pulling on the blonde’s shirt, her fingers already trying to unbutton it. Weiss’s fingers were clumsy, shaking, and she cursed as she pulled away for a second, almost ripping the blonde’s shirt open, pushing it back on the powerful shoulders of the blonde, trailing kisses down the taller woman’s neck while her hands slid down the blonde’s sides, feeling the bumps of her ribs on her fingers, then the bumps of well-defined abs, and she moaned into Yang’s mouth when the blonde’s large hands squeezed the cheeks of her ass, bringing their body flush against each other.

“Shh! Ruby and Blake are just next room!” Yang mumbled against her lips, before setting a trail of hot kisses along Weiss’s jawline, then down her neck to her collarbones, pushing back the vest the smaller woman was wearing.

As Weiss’s hands worked on Yang’s belt buckle, Yang pulled down the zipper of Weiss’s dress down her back, sliding her hands on Weiss’s side to make the fabric fall around her hips, as Weiss was finally pulling Yang’s pants down. As the blonde stepped out of them, she slid her hands just under Weiss’s ass, lifting her just enough for the dress to fall on the floor, leaving both of them in their underwear, plus the stockings Weiss was wearing. As Yang pulled away for a second, looking down at Weiss, she smirked, rising a single eyebrow.

“Lacings, huh?” she asked, her fingers ghosting over Weiss’s bra and panties, making her gasp slightly.

As the heiress chuckled, her eyes half lidded, she leaned over, whispering into Yang’s ear as her fingers ghosted over the blonde’s front, slipping the tips of her fingers just under the hem of the taller woman’s panties, making her buck her hips against her hands.

“I know you like it” she breathed, her voice husky.

 

**** 

 

Blake sighed again, rolling over in her bed, trying to think of something else, trying to concentrate on Ruby’s breathing, the noises of the wind outside, the creaking of the house, _something else_ than the obnoxious moans coming from the adjacent room. Her keen hearing could be a blessing for some situations, but on occasions like this, it was a curse. As she huffed angrily, rolling on her other side again, pulling her pillow over her head to try and muffle the sounds, she heard Ruby yawn.

“Mm, Blake?”

“What?” she answered harshly.

But Ruby didn’t seem to mind.

“You might want to check in the top drawer of your bedside desk.” The younger woman mumbled, her voice heavy with sleep.

Setting the pillow aside, she leaned on her elbow to look over at the bed beside hers to look at Ruby, but a loud moan next door made her grimace and growl, and without questioning, opened the said drawer, patting blindly inside. It was empty, as far as she could tell, until her fingers bumped on something, and she pulled it out, looking down at it.

It was a small plastic bag, smaller than her palm, and with her night vision, Blake could read what was written on it.

Adjustable, sound concealing earplugs, for faunus only.

Blake gasped loudly, quickly getting out of bed, walking over to Ruby’s and leaned over at her leader.

“You are the best” she whispered, kissing the red head with each words, and she could see Ruby smiling, her eyes still closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blake and Ruby being best bros is my jam. Brotp


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeed
> 
> I like Ladybug too. 
> 
> And... I don't know what happened towards the end. We don't know, like, a thing of Atlas.

She woke up slowly, feeling like she was wrapped in some kind of cloud. She opened her eyes, then shut them right away, feeling like her skull had just cracked in half. Grunting, she rolled over, her eyes closed, patting blindly beside her, feeling nothing. She cracked one eye open, her heart pounding painfully in her temples, and sighed. Yang was gone. Reaching to her face, she sat on the bed, the morning air brushing on her naked body as she shivered. She grunted again, rubbing her fingers against her forehead, her temples, her eyes, trying to sooth the pain, and her eye fell on a tall glass of water and two pills waiting on the bedside table. Rising her eyes to the ceiling, silently asking what she did to deserve that woman, she swallowed the pills and downed the glass of water in one swing.

 

*** 

 

Yang was in front of the stove, looking down at the pancake slowly cooking, her hands on her hips as Ruby and Blake were eating theirs, sitting on the island, when they heard quiet footsteps entering the kitchen. When Yang looked over her shoulder, she smiled and tried not to laugh.

Weiss was walking slowly, her hair a mess, a hand holding her forehead, a scowl on her face as she narrowed her eyes at the light, wearing Yang’s lavender shirt, far too big for her. She noticed she also wore her underwear, thankfully.

“Hey, look who decided to join us?” Yang chuckled, opening her arms for the smaller woman to come.

“Shhh” Weiss’s scowl deepened, her other hand rising to gently press on the blonde’s lips. “Not so loud. Whispers only.” She mumbled as she hid her face in the blonde’s neck.

“How’s your morning so far?” Yang asked, ignoring Weiss’s request to speak quietly.

She heard a long, suffering grunt, and Ruby tried to stifle her laugh behind her hands, Blake shaking her head as she sipped her cup of tea.

“It would have been better if I actually woke up beside someone” the heiress muttered, and Yang could feel her scowl more than see it, and she let out a sheepish laugh.

“I was making you breakfast” she explained, kissing the white head. “I was about to go back up, but… here you are.”

The heiress grunted again, a little softly this time. She wrapped her arms around the blonde’s neck, standing on tip toes, and she sighed.

“Carry me” she ordered, waiting.

Yang raised her eyebrows, looking down at Weiss before glancing over her shoulder.

“But your panca-”

“I’m not hungry” Weiss interrupted, before slightly pulling away, enough so she could look up at Yang. “Please?”

The taller woman smiled, laughing softly as she dramatically rolled her eyes, sliding an arm under Weiss’s knees to lift her in her arms.

“The things I do for love”, she sighed, shaking her head as Weiss snuggled, tucking her head in the crook of her shoulder. “Ruby, you up for cooking?”

The younger woman snorted, rolling her eyes.

“I can take care of my breakfast, Yang. I know how to make pancakes.”

“Good” she smirked, glancing down at Weiss. “Then my job here is done” she said as she stepped out of the kitchen, winking.

Ruby shook her head as she looked at them go, then stood from her stool, grabbing the pan on the stove and flipping the pancake with ease.

 

**** 

 

Blake was sitting in the corner of the couch in the living room, right beside the hearth giving off its heat, flipping a page of her book. Ruby was finishing filling the dishwasher, and as she heard the machine start, the younger woman walked in the room, smiling at Blake before sitting right beside her. The faunus huffed quietly, feeling the shorter woman snuggle against her, and she shifted, so Ruby could lean in her side, her head tucked in the crook of her shoulder, and the younger woman sighed, content. Ruby liked cuddles. And since Yang was often with Weiss, Blake… had kind of no choice but to learn to like it. And she did. She liked it a lot. Ruby was simply content to just lean close, do nothing, and Blake could steal her warmth while she was reading. Sometimes, like right now, she liked to slide her fingers in Ruby’s hair, her hairs so soft and light on her fingers, as she massaged her scalp at the same time, feeling Ruby literally melt against her. It was cozy. It was kind of intimate. A private moment for the both of them.

She knew it was going to be a lazy day, but she didn’t mind. Taiyang was gone before any of them woke up, leaving a note on the fridge, telling that he had things to do in town, and wouldn’t be back until the late evening, if everything went smoothly. He asked them not to burn the house while he was gone, making Yang laugh at that. As Blake glanced outside, she could see it had been snowing for a while, the trees covered in white as the big snowflakes slowly, lazily fell. She felt Ruby snuggle closer, and her hand went down, rubbing the smaller woman’s arm gently, feeling her shiver. She could understand why; Ruby was only wearing her short red shorts and one of her thin shirts, black with red dots. It was her favorite sleepwear, but it wasn’t really warm. As she focused on her reading again, she let her hand wander, brushing up and down Ruby’s arm, trailing on her hip, running over her thigh to her knee, and coming back up, again and again. When, after shifting, Ruby’s shirt pulled up slightly, revealing a thin band of skin on her hip, Blake’s fingers lingered at that place for a moment when she crossed it. Ruby’s skin was always so soft, Blake thought, her brows slightly furrowing. Her fingers kept drawing patterns on Ruby’s hip, pushing back her shirt slightly.

“Blake?”

Ruby’s voice was small, tight and a little shaky, and Blake looked down with a worried frown. Ruby was looking up at her, her silver eyes a shade darker as her eyelids were half closed.

“Kiss me?”

Blake blinked twice. It wasn’t the first time Ruby asked her that, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. They did that, sometimes. She liked Ruby, and Ruby liked her, they both knew that. But they never really talked about it. It was just one day, just like today, both cuddling while they were alone, and Ruby asked her to kiss her. And she did. Like right now. The faunus leaned down, closing her book on her finger to keep the page she was at, brushing her lips against Ruby’s until the smaller woman pressed in, closing her eyes. She liked kissing Ruby. The younger woman’s lips were always so soft and warm, always tasting sweetly. She felt Ruby’s hand cup her cheek as the kiss deepened, and the leader shifted, bringing her knee under her so she could face the faunus. Blake’s hand was still on Ruby’s hip, her grip tightening when she felt the other hand of Ruby slide in her hair, avoiding her ears. It was Blake’s turn to shift, leaving her book on the table, her page unmarked, as her hand came to hold Ruby’s nape, keeping her in place.

Well, that was new. They had shared heated kisses before, but never Ruby had straddled her hips, never had she pressed Blake’s hands under her shirt, bit down on Blake’s lip when the faunus stilled her hands over the younger woman’s hips. As she started to kiss along her jaw, Blake’s hands slowly went up, feeling the tone stomach harden under her touch, until her fingers brushed against the underside of Ruby’s breast. ‘No bra’s the best bra’ was Ruby’s motto.

Stopping, golden eyes glanced up, raising a single eyebrow in a silent question, feeling her heart pounding in her chest as Ruby nodded vigorously, arching her back so her breasts pressed in the faunus’s hands. Blake, trailing kisses down Ruby’s neck, quickly pulled her hands away, making Ruby whine softly in her ears but she quickly unbuttoned the smaller woman’s shirt, just enough so she could kiss further down, making Ruby gasp softly.

Blake had a hard time thinking. If someone walked down the stairs… A soft moan in her ears made her shiver, made her want to bite down, to leave a mark. She felt Ruby’s hand holding her head in place when her lips closed on Ruby’s nipple, felt her ark her back when one of her hands went down, her fingers sliding over the hem of Ruby’s shorts.

Dust, what were they doing?

If Yang comes down, she’s going to kill me, Blake thought.

But as Ruby bit on her shoulder, trying to be silent, as her hand worked between Ruby’s legs, feeling her tremble, she thought that it was so worth it.

Until she heard the door open, upstairs.

She jerked her head towards the noise, her ears perked up, and Ruby whined softly.

“Someone’s coming” Blake whispered, starting to panic.

“Yeah, me” Ruby answered, her voice raspy, her breathing ragged.

“No, that’s not wha-” the faunus started, as Ruby’s words made their way in her mind, and she glanced down at her.

Ruby was gripping her arms, begging her silently to not pull away, rocking her hips against Blake’s hand. And behind Ruby’s head, Blake could see, on top of the stairs, a socketed foot stepping down on the first step. She glanced down, looking back into wide, pleading silver eyes.

She sighed, closing her eyes for a hot second, before quickly lifting Ruby in her arms, shuffling as quietly as she could to the hallway and out of sight, stepping into the bathroom and sitting the smaller woman on the counter.

“You’re going to get me into so much trouble” she muttered against the skin of Ruby’s neck.

 

**** 

 

Weiss pushed back her plate, crossing her fork and knife in the center of it, sighing. Yang’s pancakes weren’t the lightest meal, but damn it, it tasted so good, and Weiss couldn’t help herself when Yang had slipped a third pancake in her plate. But now, her stomach wasn’t happy. She grimaced slightly as Yang set a cup of tea in front of her, before sitting on the stool beside her with her plate full of pancakes, the butter and syrup melting and falling on the sides of the pile.

“I don’t know how you can eat all that” Weiss muttered, rubbing her stomach, sipping at her tea in the hopes it will help her digestion.

“Well, me neither. But I can, and I will” the blonde cheered, her fork in her hand as she smiled down at the pile, a decided look on her face.

Weiss snorted, rolling her eyes with a smile. While Yang started to eat, Weiss glanced around, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. She heard the dishwasher starting earlier, and both Blake and Ruby’ coats and boots were still at the front door, so they weren’t out of the house. She shrugged slightly, thinking that they probably took a nap like they did. Glancing at Yang with a worried frown, as the blonde was already munching on the last of her pancakes, she stood from her stool, walking down the hallway to go to the bathroom. The door was inched open, so she just pushed it and as she was about to step inside, she stopped.

Ruby was sitting on the counter, her arms lazily laced around Blake’s neck to keep the taller woman against her, her head resting on the faunus’s shoulder, and she only glanced at her before closing her eyes again, her legs locked by the ankles behind Blake’s rear as golden eyes were staring at her, open wide with surprise and panic in the mirror, looking like she was having a heart attack. The faunus’s hands were under the running water of the faucet, still from the shock of seeing someone enter.

Weiss blinked, then glanced in the hallway to make sure Yang was still in the kitchen before stepping in, closing the door behind her.

“I’m going to show you something really useful, ladies” she glanced at both of them, Blake relaxing slightly and Ruby opening her eyes to look at her partner. “This” she says as she extended her index finger, gently pressing on the button on the doorknob until a quiet ‘click!’ was heard, “is called a ‘lock’. It keeps people from entering the room when you’re…” she paused, looking over her friends, raising a single eyebrow at Ruby’s growing grin. “Busy.”

Ruby chuckled, hiding her face in Blake’s shoulder as the faunus looked down, almost guiltily, her ears folding back as a blush crept on her cheeks. Weiss rolled her eyes, a small smile tugging at her lips as she pointed the door.

“Now, if you two are finished, I’d like to pee alone”

Blake was the first to move, turning the faucet off, drying her hands with a towel as she pulled away from Ruby, stepping closer to Weiss.

“Just…” she hesitated, glancing at Ruby who was jumping down the counter. “Don’t tell Yang. Please” she added, her eyebrows knitted together.

Weiss frowned slightly, but still bowed her head in acknowledgment.

“Of course. Now get out, or I’ll pee on the floor.”

And she pushed them in the hallway, closing the door behind her.

They both walked back to the kitchen, Yang glancing over her shoulder in front of the sink, and hummed in surprise when she saw her sister and her partner.

“Where were you? I thought you two were taking a nap” she asked, looking back at the water.

Yang preferred washing things herself, than use the dishwasher, Blake remembered.

“Doing some laundry” Ruby answered, climbing on a stool, her chin resting in her hand.

Yang stopped, straightening her back, glancing over her shoulder again towards her sister.

“The machine isn’t even working” she spat out, staring at her sister.

“Silly me!  I forgot to start it!” the youngest jumped promptly to her feet, going back down the hallway.

Yang watched her sister go with a skeptical look on her face, then glanced at Blake.

“And you?”

The faunus felt a cold shiver run along her spine as she answered almost too quickly.

“Helping Ruby.”

“To do the laundry?”

“Yes.”

The blonde raised a single eyebrow and sighed, turning back to the sink.

“Two heads, and they still manage to forget to start the damn thing” she muttered, as the rumble of the washing machine was heard.

 

**** 

 

As the day went on, Yang seemed to be oblivious. Of course, Blake and Ruby were close, so there was nothing wrong when they hugged, or when they cuddled on the couch to watch a movie, or when they held hands. It was all things they already did. But to Weiss’s eyes, it was as if they were screaming right in her face, the way their eyes locked, the gentle touch on one of them staying longer than normal, how close they were when they cuddled, the soft words murmured on the other’s ear. It was so familiar to Weiss, remembering her and Yang when they started dating, grimacing slightly when she remembered how Blake told them they were obvious. But as Weiss thought about her friends, she _did_ kind of saw it coming. The two were left together more often after they started dating. They did grow closer. She remembered one time, Ruby had sneaked in Blake’s bed because she had a nightmare and Yang was sleeping with Weiss, and the faunus didn’t even seem to mind.

On the evening, they were sitting in the living room, Yang upstairs taking a shower, and as Blake was crouching in front of the fire, placing another log in it, Weiss cocked her head to the side, glancing at Ruby.

“Shouldn’t you tell Yang?”

She crossed her leg over her knee as Blake glanced at Ruby.

“She’ll get upset” Blake answered drily, sitting on the floor and leaning her back against the loveseat Ruby was sitting in.

“Don’t you think she’ll get even more upset if you don’t tell her?”

Ruby raised an eyebrow, toying with one black strand of Blake’s hair.

“You two have been dating for like, two months before you told us” she snorted. “And I have to tell her right when it happens?”

Weiss nodded once, biting her lips.

“There’s a reason we don’t tell her, Weiss” her partner spoke softly, looking down at Blake. “We’ll tell her when we’re ready. But I’m glad you know.”

Weiss smiled, glancing down at the flames licking the log Blake had just put in.

“I was thinking today, and I realized I’m not even surprised about you being together” she spoke softly, feeling Blake glance up at her. “I’m really happy for you” she smiled gently.

The look they shared was longer this time, a silent conversation, until Blake nodded slightly.

“Thanks, Weiss” the faunus quietly said, gently taking the heiress’s hand before giving it a squeeze.

They fell silent for a time, enjoying the cracks of the fire, until Ruby’s scroll started ringing. She pulled it from her pocket with a frown, wondering who called her, but her smile quickly came back as she tapped on the screen and pulled the device to her ear.

“Hey Dad!”

They could hear the man’s voice, but not the words, and Ruby’s eyebrows slowly furrowed.

“Yeah, she’s in the shower. Yeah, I understand, it’s alright, Dad, you don’t need to apologise so much” she chuckled a bit, toying with Blake’s hair again. “Yep, take care! See you tomorrow” she smiled while she tapped on the screen again to end the call.

“He’s not making it for tonight?” Blake asked as Ruby glanced out the window.

“Yeah, he says the roads are blocked because of the snow. He’ll stay at a motel for tonight”

“Better safe than sorry” Weiss added, leaning back in her chair. “I’ve seen my fair share of snow, and sometimes, it can get chaotic.”

Blake perked up a little, her head cocking to the side slightly.

“How’s Atlas like?” she asked, pulling her knees against her chest and wrapping an arm around them.

Weiss sighed, furrowing her eyebrows for a moment, before standing and walking to the small bar, taking a small glass and pouring a finger of scotch, promising herself to be more careful tonight.

“It’s snowy” she finally said, looking outside as she leaned against the window frame. “There’s snow ten months a year. A Vale spring looks like an Athlesian summer”

“How can you call that a summer?”

Yang’s voice made them jump a little, nobody heard her coming down the stairs, and she asked as she sat down on the couch.

“It’s the only time of the year the weather is somewhat nice” Weiss huffed. “We’ll take what we can”

“Do you like it?” Ruby asked, a skeptical look on her face. “I mean, I love snow, but not ten months a year”

“I do” the heiress nodded, still staring outside. “It’s not the easiest place to live, but once you’re used to it… Atlas is so beautiful. It’s surrounded by mountains and glaciers, and” a soft smiled pulled her lips, her eyes lost in her memories. “I remember, when I was a kid, Winter and I used to sneak out at night, and we climbed on the roof of the mansion to look at the aurora borealis. I got frostbites, once, because I didn’t want to come back inside.”

She huffed as she raised her right hand, flexing her fingers a few times.

“In the middle of winter, there’s aurora borealis every night. Green, purple, pink, I saw blue ones, once, dancing in the sky. But in the middle of winter, in Atlas, there’s only four to five hours of light per day. At night, it gets cold. Really cold. Nobody goes out at night, unless you want to die freezing”

She paused for a moment, swirling the amber liquid in her glass a few times before bringing it to her lips and took a sip.

“There are still natives living in the wilds. Grims in Atlas is a very rare sight, so the natives can kill the few they cross path with. But I remember, I really liked going out on the roof to see the aurora borealis, because I could hear them sing.” She said as she closed her eyes. “The air is so still and crisp that the sounds seem to travel farther. Or maybe it’s because there’s no sound at all at night. But as the lights danced in the sky, I could hear them sing. And it’s…”

She swallowed, sighing, and they could see the goosebumps run up her arms at the memory as she crossed her arms.

“It’s indescribable. I talked once with a native when I was a child. I was with Mother and Winter in town, and I saw in the corner of my eye a wolf pelt. A real wolf pelt.” She nodded. “Father always told me there weren’t any wolfs in Atlas for centuries, but… we didn’t get as far north as they did. His name was Olek, I remember” she seemed surprised, her eyebrows raised, but she continued. “He had a huge bear claw as a necklace, and when I asked him why, he told me it was to remember. I didn’t understand what he meant. I asked him why they sang to the lights every night. He laughed, and asked me if I wanted to hear a story. I remember looking over my shoulder to ask Mother, but I couldn’t see her, and I said yes, and I sat on the ground.”

“He asked me what I thought the lights were, and when I told him that I thought they were just pretty lights, he laughed again. He told me that they weren’t just lights. Those aurora borealis were the spirits of all living things that died, and every night, they woke up to watch on us. He told me that every human or faunus had a spirit animal that they were drawn to, and then he explained that faunus people’s spirit animal weren’t necessarily related to their appendages. It’s a call from the soul, he told me. It’s calling to the lights. He told me they sang to the lights every night so they could keep the contact between them and their spirits, up in the sky. He told me those spirits were our ancestors, the ancients, watching over us. Olek told me that his spirit animal was the bear. He told me how a bear saved him from a Grim that he wasn’t able to kill. And as the bear died, he had seen the wind take its soul. And that night, when he was singing with the others, he saw it. He saw the bear in one of the lights. He told me that he recognised then his brother that died a few years ago, his spirit animal the bear, too. He said that death was not the end; it was only a transition.”

She opened her eyes, blinking slowly as she remembered where she was, and she glanced down at her glass, before setting it aside on the bar.

“I was quite young at that time. I didn’t understand everything he said. But I think about it a lot. Years later, the winter just before I went to Vale, to Beacon, I went on the roof again. I was alone; Winter is with the military since I’m twelve. I still could hear them sing. After so many years hearing them, I knew the song. Well, they sing in another language, but it looks like… a complaint. And hell, I was alone in the middle of the night. I felt like a complete idiot, but… I started to sing with them.”

She huffed, a scowl appearing on her face even though she still smiled a little.

“Maybe I was hallucinating. I was outside for far too long, and I could feel my old frostbites hurts like hell. I couldn’t feel my face, and my eyes felt like they turned to ice in their socket. But I couldn’t stop singing. And as I blinked, I thought I saw something in the lights.”

“You saw your spirit animal” Ruby murmured, her eyes wide open in utmost awe, now sitting on the floor with Blake so she could cuddle the faunus.

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose, huffing again.

“I can’t believe I believe this” she mumbled, before glancing up. “I think I did, yes.”

“What was it?”

This time, Blake talked, her ears perked up towards the heiress, entirely focused on her. And Weiss smiled gently.

“I’m pretty sure it was an owl. And now, every now and then…” she said as she glanced outside, one side then the other, before a smile lit up her face, waving to Ruby to come closer.

The three other women quickly jumped to their feet, crowding the window, following the direction Weiss was pointing. And there, not so far away, sitting on a branch covered in snow, its feathers puffed slightly, was an owl, its head twisted in their direction.

“Awesome” Ruby whispered, her palms and forehead against the cold window, a large smile splitting her face.


	6. Chapter 6

“Do you really believe in that ‘spirit animal’ thing?”

Weiss sighed, nuzzling gently the blonde’s shoulder as she shifted closer, her fingers drawing patterns around Yang’s belly button.

“I don’t know” she finally breathed. “There’s the reasonable part of me that tries to convince me it’s just a weird coincidence that I always notice owls. But there’s the other part of me that believes that the owls are watching over me.”

The blonde hummed, shifting slightly as her arm wrapped around the smaller woman to keep her close. Weiss pulled the covers over her shoulders, shivering slightly in the cold morning air, but Yang didn’t seem bothered at all, the blanket only covering her hips.

“Well, if mine was a raven, I’d be pissed” Yang blurted out, frowning at the ceiling.

Weiss raised her eyebrows, looking up as she settled in the crook of the blonde’s shoulder.

“Really? Why?”

“My mother” Yang started, glancing down quickly. “Biological mother. Her name’s Raven. It would be like, a really bad joke to make a raven watch over me.”

The heiress nodded, humming, as she wrapped an arm around her girlfriend to hug her gently, feeling the blonde nuzzle her hair.

“You don’t talk about her often” Weiss commented softly.

“Yeah, well, there’s not much I know” she shrugged slightly. “I know I kinda look like her.”

After a moment of silence, she chuckled quietly.

“And Ruby looks just like Summer. Wait, I’ll show you.”

As she moved to get out of bed, Weiss whined, pouting, but enjoyed the view as Yang paced around the room, naked, to quickly get dressed.

“I kept a photo of Dad’s team when he was at Beacon. Team STRQ, Summer, Taiyang, Raven and Qrow. You’ll see, Ruby is like” she paused, jumping in her jeans and quickly buttoning it, “a copy of Summer. It’s amazing.”

She opened the door, stepping in the hallway, glancing back to her with a smile.

“I’ll be right back.”

And she closed the door. Yang walked down the hallway, passing the stairs with a smile on her lips as she turned the doorknob of their room, pushing the door open, and her smile dropped.

Ruby was leaning on one elbow, staring down at Blake under her, turning her back to Yang as the blonde heard a soft, quiet moan. Blake’s hand reached up, trying to grip Ruby’s shoulder, but she only pulled on the covers covering them, the blanket falling, revealing a really naked Ruby between Blake’s legs.

Yang must have made a sound, or the door creaked when she let go of the doorknob, because Ruby’s head turned towards her, her features going from surprise to annoyance.

“Um, Yang? Do you mind?”

But the blonde stepped forward, feeling her face twist as she saw golden eyes open wide above Ruby’s shoulder, Blake’s ears immediately folding back against her head as she curled on herself.

“What are you _doing_?” Yang hissed, her eyes flaring red, her fists clenching as she kept staring at Blake.

Blake flinched, her ears flushed against her skull as she fell from the bed, pulling the covers with her to keep a certain modesty. She stood, and stumbled backward when Yang kept walking towards her.

“Yang, it’s not – I can explain – Look, let’s talk about this, I-”

“Yang. Get out.”

Ruby stepped in front of her sister to shield the faunus, quickly buttoning the shirt she’d put on, her face hard as she stared into flaming red eyes. Yang didn’t spare her a glance, grabbing her shoulder to push her to the side, her hair starting fuming, but when she touched her sister, Ruby grabbed her hand, twisting it just enough to bring pain, just enough for Yang to growl down at her as her silver eyes never left red ones.

“Get. Out.” She hissed, twisting slightly again to make her point.

The sisters stared at each other for a long moment. Blake kept clutching at the covers covering her, her hands shaking, feeling her throat tightening, until Yang jerked her hand back, Ruby letting her go. The blonde glanced up at the faunus again in a last, silent threat, before turning on her heels and walking out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Ruby winced at the noise, her shoulders relaxing slightly. She let out a deep sigh, resting her hands on her hips, and glanced over her shoulder when she heard the soft rustling of fabric. Blake was gathering her clothes with a shaky hand, clutching the blanket over her tightly, averting Ruby’s eyes.

“Are you okay?” the younger woman asked softly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I knew it was a bad idea. I knew it from the start” Blake mumbled under her breath, her voice shaking.

“Blake-”

Two knocks came from the door, before it inched open and Weiss poked her head inside, a worried frown on her face.

“Are you alright?” she asked, glancing over them both, before searching the room. “I heard a loud noise… Where’s Yang?”

Ruby shrugged, and Blake glanced down at the floor, still gathering her clothes, and Weiss realised suddenly, leaning her head against the doorframe.

“Oh…”

“Yeah” Ruby breathed, looking back at Blake.

“She was mad?”

Ruby nodded, but stayed silent. Weiss sighed, and as she was closing the door, Ruby spoke.

“Give her some time. You won’t like seeing her like this.”

 

**** 

 

Weiss was staring at the teapot, munching nervously at her thumbnail when she heard Blake and Ruby enter the kitchen. Blake silently sat on a stool, her ears drooping, while Ruby walked to the glass door, her arms crossed as she looked outside. She saw that Yang had shoveled her way through the snow to the small shed at the back of the backyard, and the blonde was now swinging the axe above her head, then let it fall down on a log, cutting it in half. With the way the splinted wood flew around it, Ruby knew Yang was overdoing, the activity just an excuse to actually hit something, venting off her anger. At this rate, they’d have enough wood to last a month, Ruby thought.

“She’s been at it for an hour, now” Weiss noted, busying herself with the cups she was aligning, pulling Ruby from her thoughts. “I was about to go talk to her.”

Ruby shook her head with a sigh, walking back to the island where Blake was sitting, and leaned her elbows on it with a deep sigh.

“No, you stay with Blake. I’ll talk to her.”

She glanced at the faunus, and she smiled softly as she poked her nose, making dark eyebrows furrow slightly.

“There are many things I have to say to her.”

Weiss stilled her hands for a second, glancing over her shoulder to her partner.

“Are you sure?”

Ruby nodded, straightening her back, walking to the heiress to hug her gently.

“Just take care of Blake, alright? She needs a friend.”

Weiss nodded, hugging her partner a little tighter for a second before pulling away, and the leader walked to the front door, taking her coat with a sigh.

 

**** 

 

Yang placed another log on the much larger one, shifting it until it stayed upright, then raised the axe above her head again, letting it fall, using its weight and adding some force to it, feeling the steel of the axe bite in the wood as it sliced it in half. The two halves fell on either side of the base, her axe sunk in the wood as she straightened her back, wiping the sweat off her brows. She leaned down, grabbing one of the two halves and set it on the base, trying to make it stand long enough so she could cut it again. She raised the axe as she heard footsteps coming closer, and she glanced over her shoulder after she cut the log. Ruby was walking towards her, stopping at a safe distance. Her hands shoved deep inside her black leather coat pockets, her red beanie sitting on her head casually, she watched her as the blonde placed another log on the base, swung the axe, let it fall, placed another one, watched her for a few minutes silently before letting out a huff, her breath forming a cloud of steam.

“Are you going to be mad forever, or what?”

Yang let the blade sink in the base, raised her head to stare at her sister in a cold stare, straightening her back as her lips pressed in a thin, fine line.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” the blonde growled, her eyes flashing red, but stayed in their lavender shade.

Ruby made a face, frowning as she snorted, rolling her eyes as she shifted her weight on her other leg.

“Uh, duh? Didn’t you think about it a little?”

Yang only growled louder, gritting her teeth as her hands balled into tight fists.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked again, taking a single step towards her.

Ruby’s face hardened as she clenched her teeth, too, her silver eyes shifting a shade lighter, the color of steel.

“I wanted to talk about it like an adult, Yang. But you’re so… _dense_ sometimes, and now, I’m mad” Ruby huffed, pulling her hands out of her pocket. “Think a little. Why do you think we didn’t tell you? Huh?”

Yang’s mouth twisted slightly, her eyes shifting to a light red tone, but she stayed silent, her mouth firmly shut.

Ruby threw her hands in the air, huffing.

“I don’t even understand why you’re mad! I mean, it’s not like it’s someone you don’t know!”

“My own partner, Ruby” Yang finally hissed, her nails digging in her palms.

“And what’s the problem about it?” Ruby snapped. “What’s the deal? I didn’t say anything when you started dating Weiss! She’s _my_ partner, must I remind you. I was only happy when I knew that two of my favorite people were together! So, what is the problem?”

“Then why didn’t you tell me, if it’s not a problem?” Yang barked, her eyes bright red as they narrowed.

“The same reason you and Weiss didn’t tell us right away!” Ruby yelled, stepping closer. “I know Weiss like the back of my hand. She’s my partner. I knew that if you didn’t tell us, there was a good reason for it. I figured it was because of her father or something. But I didn’t say anything, because I _know_ her, Yang.”

“It’s different!” Yang snapped. “I have to protect you! I have to take care of you!”

“Well thanks, _Mom_ ” the younger woman snorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I don’t need your protection, Yang! You don’t have to keep covering me every moment of my life! I’m not a child, anymore!”

Yang grimaced slightly, jerking her head back. She always hated when Ruby called her that.

“I don’t get why you think pushing people away will keep me safe, really. Every time I had a love interest, you just scared them off! That hurts more than a possible heartbreak, do you realise that? I want to feel things, Yang! Didn’t you think at one point that maybe, I wanted to be with them?”

The blonde stayed silent, her eyes still locked with Ruby’s, still red, but not as bright as they were before. The younger woman huffed a little, then took a deep breath.

“Blake knows you like the back of her hand, too. She’s your partner. She remembers every story you told her, how you scared the people I got close to. How you threatened them. And you were so _proud_ of doing that. You always claimed that you were protecting me, and she remembers that, too.”

She paused, pressing her lips together for a second.

“Blake is making me feel so _good_ , in so many ways, Yang. And I really wanted to tell you, but Blake asked me not to. And, you know, that’s odd.” She cocked her head to the side, still staring at her sister. “She trusts you so much, Yang. She trusts you with everything, she could entrust her life in your hands in a heartbeat and you know that. She trusts you, as long as I’m not in the line.”

“She knows you’re overprotective of me. She knew you’ll get mad about us, she knew you’d be mad _at her_. And you know, I think that’s sad” Ruby let out, her voice shaking, cracking. “She can’t tell her best friend about someone she had an interest in. I have feelings for her, Yang, and I know she does for me, too. She couldn’t tell her best friend about a woman who made her happy, because she remembered all your stories. She couldn’t tell you, and didn’t want me to tell you about us because she’s _afraid_ of you.”

She breathed deeply, trying to stay calm, Yang’s eyes coming back to their normal lilac as the blonde took a step forward.

“Rub-”

“I really don’t want to hear it. Alright? I don’t want to talk to you.” She interrupted as she stepped back, shoving her hands back in her pockets, sniffing. “I just hope you’ll think about that, this time. I really do.” She murmured, her eyes back to their shining silver as they were filled with tears.

And she turned on her heels, walking in the deep snow towards the tree line, leaving Yang alone as she stared at the ground.

 

**** 

 

Both the sisters were out for hours, now. Blake seemed to deflate as time went by, despite Weiss’s efforts to cheer her up. At least, she thought, Blake wasn’t alone. They were sitting on the couch, watching a movie Blake chose, Weiss keeping Blake’s hand in hers, when they heard the glass door open, the noises of boots stomping on the floor to make the snow fall. The faunus tensed, squeezing tighter the hand in hers as her ears drooped a little, waiting. They heard approaching footfalls, and Yang entered the living room, walking to the front door to hang her coat. She paused, her hand still on the fabric as she felt the stares on her back, sighing. When she turned on her heels slowly, both women were up, Blake toying nervously with her hands, her ears flat on her skull. When the blonde took a step towards her, she saw the faunus flinch, and she stopped in her track, her heart sinking in her chest.

“Blake…” she breathed.

Golden eyes glanced up at her, hesitating.

“I’m sorry” the blonde murmured, glancing down. “I’m really sorry you feel this way. I failed you, as a partner and as a friend. I… I should have made you feel at ease. Instead, I…”

She glanced up at her partner, her eyes locking with golden ones for a moment, and slowly, she walked the distance between them, hugging the startled faunus gently.

“I’m happy for you, Blake. Ruby’s the best, and I… I trust you. I know you care for her.”

She pulled away, holding her shoulders and gave it a slight squeeze with a small, apologetic grimace, and she let her hands fall to her side. She nodded to herself, her eyes falling to the ground as she stepped back, towards the stairs.

“I’d like to be alone.”

That last sentence was for Weiss, and she turned on her heels, climbing the stairs, walking to the room she shared with her girlfriend before closing the door behind her, leaning her back to it for a moment.

 

**** 

 

She was lying on her side, on Weiss’s side, smelling her girlfriend’s scent, when she heard the door open. She huffed slightly, her brows furrowing.

“Weiss, I told you I wanted to be alone” she grumbled without looking over her shoulder.

“Yeah, well, I’m not Weiss.”

The blonde closed her eyes for a moment, swallowing, as she heard Ruby close the door behind her, heard her approaching footsteps, and felt the bed dip slightly under her weight, knowing her sister was lying beside her on her back. But she said nothing, waiting for her to talk first.

It took a moment before Ruby sighed, then cleared her throat.

“I heard you apologised to Blake” she let out simply, her voice even.

The blonde nodded, rolling on her back, side by side with her sister as they both stared at the ceiling. They stayed silent again, minutes ticking by.

“Did you mean it when you said you were happy for us?”

Yang rolled her head to the side, staring at her sister. Ruby looked tired, her hair matted from sweat and melting snow, her face slightly dirty, but she kept staring at the ceiling, her lips pressed together.

“Of course I did” Yang breathed softly, searching blindly for her sister’s hand, taking it gently.

As she thumbed her sister’s knuckles, she saw Ruby winced a little, and she looked down on the hand she held. With a soft gasp, she raised it to her eyes, seeing the bruised knuckles, the torn skin had let small droplets of blood fall, dry trails sliding between her fingers.

“Ruby, your hands…”

The younger woman looked down with a grimace, huffing.

“I had to punch something after we… talked.” She hesitated, flexing her fingers a few times.

Yang glanced down, holding her sister’s hand against her chest for a moment, before shifting to her side, facing the smaller woman, still holding her hand.

“Ruby, I… I’m sorry.”

Silver eyes glanced at her, and Yang averted them, staring at the hand in hers.

“I never meant to hurt you in any way” she continued, feeling her eyes burn. “I always wanted what’s best for you. I wanted to protect you.”

“Then you shouldn’t have scared everyone away. You shouldn’t have been mad at Blake.”

“I know” she murmured, squeezing lightly the hand in hers. “I thought it was the right thing to do. I realise now that it wasn’t, and for that, I apologise. I’m really sorry, Ruby.”

She swallowed thickly, blinking the tears away as she cleared her throat.

“Like you said, I know Blake like the back of my hand. I know she’s a good person. I know she’ll take care of you, just as I know you’ll take care of her.”

She heard Ruby taking a deep breath, but she pressed on.

“I’ll try to change my behavior. I’ll try to give you some space. And that is going to be hard” she huffed, smiling slightly. “You’re so precious to me, and I may be a pain in the ass again. But if I do, tell me, and I’ll try to back off.”

Ruby chuckled quietly, and she felt her fingers brush over her temple, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

“Look at me, Sis” she ordered gently.

She glanced up after a second of hesitation, lilac locking with warm silver.

“I’m glad you apologised, to me and to Blake. You’re precious to me too, Yang, and I hate it when we fight. But you don’t see what you don’t want to see, and it can get really frustrating sometimes.”

“I’m sorry” was the immediate murmur of the blonde, her shoulders slouching slightly.

“I’m sorry too, Yang” Ruby sighed, squeezing her sister’s hand in hers slightly. “I shouldn’t have bottled it up until now. I should have told you before. I may have been harsher than necessary.”

The blonde nodded slightly but she still made a small smile, mirrored by Ruby. The younger woman rolled on her side, pulling her sister in her arms as she nuzzled in blonde hair, hugging her gently.

“I love you”

“I love you more”

Ruby snorted softly, hugging her a little tighter.

 

**** 

 

Blake knocked on the door, waiting for a call. But after a few seconds, when the silence lingered, she twisted the doorknob, pushing the door open as quietly as she could, poking her head inside.

She could hear the deep breathing of the sisters, Yang cradled in Ruby’s arms, an arm lazily resting around Ruby’s waist, the quiet snores of Yang the only noise of the room. The faunus smiled softly, walking quietly to the end of the bed, watching them sleep. They looked peaceful, and Blake grimaced slightly, feeling bad at the fact that she was sent to bring them downstairs. She walked around the bed to Ruby’s side, sitting down on the edge, and rested a hand on her leader’s hip, shaking gently. Ruby stirred, taking a sharp breath as she cracked open an eye, glancing over her shoulder. She smiled when she saw Blake, pulling away from Yang gently to roll over, curling around the faunus as Yang’s eyes lazily blinked open.

“Hey” Blake smiled, petting Ruby’s hair gently as the younger woman nuzzled against her thigh. “You two didn’t eat anything today, and we thought you might be hungry” she said quietly, glancing at Yang, then back at Ruby.  “Dinner’s ready.”

Yang grunted as she stretched, yawning. Ruby only snuggled closer to Blake, her eyes closed, and Blake shook her again.

“Come on, Ruby, get up. You have to eat something.”

Now it was her turn to grunt as she rolled away, a small scowl on her face, curling in a ball.

“Fine, I’m coming” she grumbled against Yang, the blonde chuckling quietly.

As the blonde sat on the edge of the bed, she stretched again, wincing. She felt sore, her back and arms hurting as she stood, rolling her shoulders, feeling Blake stare at her.

“I think I got a little carried away with the axe, earlier” she joked, grimacing when a pang of pain rose through her back as she raised one arm over her head.

She heard Blake snort, and she glanced at her, seeing the faunus still sitting on the bed, waiting for Ruby to get up. She heard Ruby mumble something under her breath, and Blake’s ears perked up, the faunus’s face turning a bright crimson as she glanced quickly up at the blonde, Ruby’s lips pulled in a devilish grin.

“Look, I may be fine with you two being together, but don’t push it, Ruby” Yang playfully growl, walking out of the room as Blake hid her face in her hands, hearing Ruby laugh softly.

She walked down the stairs and entered the kitchen, seeing Weiss setting the plates on the table as blue eyes glanced up, surprised to see her alone.

“What are they doing?” she asked, straightening her back as she raised a single eyebrow.

“Flirting” Yang answered, walking to the heiress, hugging her gently.

Weiss chuckled, hugging her girlfriend closer to her, trailing her fingers up and down her back gently as she felt Yang nuzzle her hair. Suddenly, they heard a tumble, then a laugh, and they raised their eyes to the ceiling, seeing the small chandelier swing slightly. They heard a tumble again, as if someone was rolling on the floor, and they heard Ruby laugh again, hearing someone run down the stairs, and they saw one of Blake’s shadow at the end of the stairs, the faunus walking back to the kitchen with her back turned, keeping her eyes on the stairs. She turned on her heels, and stopped when her golden eyes fell on Weiss and Yang, and they could see her shirt slightly ruffled, her hair puffed and her lips slightly redder than before, and Yang narrowed her eyes. But before she could say anything, rose petals entered with a gust of wind, Ruby stopping at the end of the table, a large smile on her lips.

“I _am_ hungry” she cheered as she sat in a chair. “What are we eating?” she asked, winking at Blake.

The faunus blushed a bright crimson again, Weiss closing her eyes as if she was pained and Yang’s eye twitched once, staring at her little sister.


End file.
